What) A major winter storm hit our state on Wednesday (February 20, 2013), leaving snow, rain and serious dark clouds in its wake. But, it didn't save all the white stuff for the high country. Photos from central Phoenix showed graupel (A form of frozen precipitation consisting of snowflakes or ice crystals and supercooled water droplets frozen together), also known as "soft hail", lining the streets and blanketing cars.

    An ABC15 viewer photo from 7th Street and Maryland showed the graupel falling as thick clouds covered the sky. Another image showed cars in a lot at 16th Street and Northern covered with the rarely-seen "snow". The chilly conditions have been helped by a nearly-20-degree drop in temperatures. (1)

    We don't get much snow in Phoenix. Although you may have heard about snowball fights taking place, and snowmen being erected around town on March 11, 2006, the official weather for Phoenix happens at Sky Harbor International Airport, and there was no measurable snow there. In the higher elevations surrounding the Phoenix metro area, at around 2,000 of elevation and higher, there was snow.

    We had snow in the Greater Phoenix area on December 6, 1998. I know, because I had a holiday staff party at my house that evening! The snow was in the northeast part of the Valley. Then, on February 20, 2013 there were many snow sightings in Scottsdale and North Phoenix. It still didn't officially count because there was no snow at Sky Harbor Airport. The last time there was officially measurable snow in Phoenix was in 1937. (2)

    Where) Somewhere on the 5 mile drive between AZ Bridgeworks at #2 - 7540 East 6th Avenue in Scottsdale and the La Quinta at 4727 East Thomas Road in Phoenix.

    Why) Although I didn't know the historical significance at the time, I knew there was something unusual about these cloud photographs when I took them.

























As I grew up in Saskatchewan, I assumed that I was seeing thunderstorm clouds. Because I don't pay much attention to the news ...






... I had not heard what was really happening. Later that evening I went for a walk and saw what looked like a bit of ...









... slush at the base of a cactus and I just assumed that the nearby restaurant had thrown it's waste ice out the front door. (3)






Salt River Fields in Scottsdale
It wasn't until I received an e-mail from my parents asking about the snow in Phoenix that I finally learned what I had missed. (4)






Talking Stick Resort and Casino
              in Scottsdale
If I had known at the time then I am sure I would have made a point of going out to capture one of the previous three images. (3)