Tuesday, July 15, 2014

An East Wind, Experiencing a Canyon Blast

Yesterday started as a relaxing day. We had participated in  our resorts arts and craft show on Saturday, and after taking a brief rest to golf in men's league finished up the special orders, (custom work makes up a fair percentage of our sales).
A storm was brewing in the west and as we watched the incredible display of lighting bolts over the Carribou Mountains, (west of us), as the wind shifted to blow from the east. Now in eastern Wyoming an east wind usually means a really bad storm as its one of the few times where Gulf Coast moisture reaches Wyoming. That's the time where we would experience massive spring storms with feet of snow and drifts.
Here the wind didn't threaten any snow but instead grew in force until the gale force winds threatened to tear our neighbors pergola apart. Hurrying outside to help John, we finally got the covering off which reduced the stress on the metal structure, (it was threatening to blow the whole thing down and we saw this happen last year).
Everyting seem stabilized and so John and I hurried back inside to get our cameras and I wished I had a weather station, or at least an anemometer. The wind was so strong that I could barely stand up and occasional gusts made me step backwards
Luckily our fifth wheel was taking the winds from the rear and so it was taking it all in stride, (unlike the wind shear blast we experienced several years ago where we thought our rig was going over). Everything else was secure and so I took image after image of the cumulus mammaltus shapes hanging from the underside of the clouds,(extremely unstable winds often associated with tornado producing storms, they get their names because they resemble parts of a women's anatomy).
The skies have now partially cleared this morning and so Molly and I will walk around the park and look for any wind damage. Its the first Canyon wind, (some in eastern Colorado have been clocked at over one hundred miles per hour), we have ever experienced. I am glad we are far enough away from the canyons mouth, so that the winds here weren't stronger. Clear skies

1 comment:

  1. ok, so answer me this and not on the blog - where exactly are you in wyoming - I am always looking at my spark, weather bug for lightening - I can then keep track of blain, darlene, dans, mikes and i dont know exatly where you are. I need to know!! C

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