Snow Day - Sedona

The last year we have been in a really bad drought. Last week we finally put a dent in that when we got dumped on nearly every day for a week. It's been two years since it snowed in our area. Normally we get a light snow every few years where we are (at 1900 feet elev). Two of the storms last week were 3 days apart and the forecast was that we would get an inch of snow. I watch the weather very closely and it looked like a believable forecast. Two years ago they were calling for trace amounts, this time they were calling for up to an inch. The day before they said it was going to snow was just like the previous snow day. We started with heavy rain, then hail, then cold, and Daisy already had snow in the afternoon. I thought for sure the forecast would be right and we would get snow overnight. Well, it wasn't.

I woke up several times that night looking outside and checking the radar. Radar started showing snow over us around 4 am but it was melting before we could even see it. A pocket of warmer air was hugging I-17 all the way up to the plateau north of Black Canyon City. I woke up surprised that Daisy had very little visible snow from our house. It was a little disappointing but didn't change our plans, we were going to the snow that day. As we were getting ready between 8-9 that morning we got a light mix of what looked like snow but was probably graupel. It was pretty pathetic and melting within 30 seconds of hitting the ground.

We got a late start that morning because I haven't done a lot of driving while it is snowing in this state. I did a little research that morning about the different salts they use on the road and how cold it has to be to freeze which each salt. I decided at ten we were definitely safe. The roads were clear for the most part. We didn't know where we were going until we were on the road and then Natalie decided Sedona. We got up to Sedona and couldn't go past Bell Rock off 89A. Apparently a big rig jack knifed and they were turning everyone around at the round about. We decided to cut west at the round about and parked by the OakCreek Country Club. 

It turned out to be a pretty good spot to hang out. There weren't too many people. There were good views, and it snowed the whole time we were there. We hung out for a couple hours then tried to go back north but the road was still closed. So we stopped at the Holiday Inn and let the kids get out and play for a while. We could watch the road closure from there and we finally decided we were going to give up and go home. Well just as we were pulling out of the parking lot I could see the hazmat truck leaving. We flipped a u-turn and headed downtown.

We drove up to one of the best easily accessible lookouts, the airport. After a good snow the views up there are amazing. Well today wasn't one of those days. It was a whiteout! All that waiting to get into the city and everything was shutdown so we turned around and went home. 

Three days later we had another storm forecasted to come in. No snow this time for the Phoenix area but the mountains were going to get blasted. This was Dean's first time getting to really play in the snow. He liked it, until he got cold. Once he was cold he was crying for the truck. Natalie ended up getting him some better clothes for the next trip.

After our afternoon hail storm.

That is Black Mesa and Tonto National Forest covered in white. Normally we don't even notice the mountains behind Gavilan Peak and Daisy Mountain.

Natalie took this picture from the Outlets just a half mile down the street.

Daisy Mountain around 3-4 in the afternoon.

The kids outside when we got some graupel.

We went from a prediction of 1 inch of snow to this graupel. The kids still thought it was cool and they were shaped like snowflakes.

Outside of New River.

This green sign marks 3000 feet elev. Daisy Mountain is 3160 ft. Lots of frozen saguaro up here.

Just north of Black Canyon on the plateau. 

Coming down the hill by south of Camp Verde.

Coming into Oak Creek.

Video of us driving through the snow.

South side of Sedona.

This is where we had to wait for traffic to clear.

Hanging out on the golf course.

And he wonders why we call him Rico Suave.

Dean was obsessed with this flag pole on the green and wanted to build a mountain of snow around it.

The max temperature was 31 degrees yet that little puddle wasn't frozen. I think it had some runoff with salt from the parking lot.

Dean isn't as miserable as he looks. He was trying to catch some snow with this tongue and I just got the picture at the wrong time.

Waiting for traffic to clear at the Holiday Inn.

This is from the Sedona Airport. I'm sure the next day the view was amazing with snow covering all the red rocks.

Leaving Sedona. 

On the way back home. I don't know what is going on here. It looks like a mix of snow plus maybe the wind blowing the snow already on the mountain. Looked really cool.

From Sunset Point.

4th Of July Weekend



Well for some reason in Anthem they planned fireworks for Thursday July 3rd. I have no idea why. I don't know if they do it on the third every year or just this year but there were a handful of other cities in the valley that did the same thing. So after work on Thursday we went over to the Anthem Community Park, paid for overpriced food, bought Adri a wrist band for the rides, and enjoyed about a hour in the nice cool 102 degree heat.

 

Shortly after we got there we could see a storm building up. I looked on my phone and the radar wasn't too impressive so we stayed. Then out of no where the wind hit. Now I have already made the poor decision to walk through a dust storm before (last summer) and I paid for it with a fever, chills, and burning eyes and throat all night. I wasn't going to make the same mistake again. So we ran off to the car to wait for fireworks. An hour later we saw everyone leaving so I decided to ask a cop what happened. Fireworks were cancelled. Not delayed until the fourth, but cancelled. Unbelievable. We didn't get a whole lot of rain where we were at but at 12:30 I woke up to what sounded like a bomb going off. It scared me real good. After that I heard probably a full two minutes of constant rumbling from the thunder.

 

So originally we had planned to go to Sedona on the fourth. However I didn't feel like dealing with the craziness on the holiday so we stayed home instead. Actually I worked on the fourth and Saturday I worked from home and took a break to take Adri to the park. Sunday we left for Sedona.

 

One of the many reasons we chose to move to Anthem is that it is close to Sedona. Only an hour and a half away. Before we would have to make a two day trip out of it, get a hotel, etc... Now it's 110 miles closer and we can actually drive the whole stretch with two kids without a break. So we had a late start and it still didn't ruin our day. We didn't get out of the house until ten, getting up to Oak Creek around noon. Our plans were once again ruined. We planned to hang out at Slide Rock. It's a natural water slide in the creek. Well all creek access is closed until September. So we turned around and drove 15 miles back in the direction we had just come from to have lunch at a vista close to Bell Rock.

 

As we were eating lunch we could see a lot of lightning all around us, including the Slide Rock area. There was a lot of thunder and occasionally a sprinkle or two but we stayed dry all day. After lunch we walked around downtown, which wasn't that impressive to me. I go to Sedona for the nature, not the art shops. Plus dragging kids through these stores is a pain in the butt. After that we parked by the airport buttes and took some pictures. The best part about Sedona is that even with small kids you can take in all the views. You can park your car and only have to walk a couple hundred feet to get a view of all the red rock formations. It's like driving inside the Grand Canyon. We took a couple short hikes and Zach loved it. His head was panning all over the place taking in the views. He's a very curious little guy.

 

On our way home Natalie wanted to stop at a little village down HWY179. Earlier I noticed that they had a Mexican restaurant there, El Rincon. So we ate dinner there. They had the best salsa and chimichanga I have had in a very long time. We'll definitely be going back again. After dinner we were on the road by 8:00 and home by 9:30. Yes we definitely like being closer to Sedona. Another month until our next trip.

 

 

 

Who knew what was going to follow?

 

And this is why Sky Harbor was closed and fireworks were cancelled.

 

Saturday morning. Adri grabbed the camera and demanded I take a picture. She then pulled her brother in for the shot. Of course Pony had to be in the picture too.

At Anthem Park. Moonsoon season is starting.

Driving up HWY179. Just as we got into Sedona.

Lunch time at Bell Rock.

 

 Adri and I went on our own hike after lunch.

 

 

Downtown Sedona 

 

He's trying

 

Airport Buttes.

After driving about 1/4 way up to the airport there are these small buttes. You wouldn't think you have that much view up there but it's a pretty good view of the north side of Sedona and an amazing view of the south side. From the airport lookout you cannot see the south side.

Looking south

Adri and I are on the trail across the way.

North side of Sedona

Adri found a heart shaped rock.

Looking east of the buttes.

Zach playing with the Juniper. He got really excited when he pulled a little off the tree.

Ok you have to use your imagination with this picture. I told Natalie to make like a China woman and get ten feet behind and three feet to the left when taking this picture. She was three feet behind. It was supposed to be a Lion King picture with the valley in the background. Just imagine.

Zach's first photobomb.

After dinner. He had a rough day. 

This is what I came home to Monday after work. Monsoon season is here. And now that we are out of the valley of hell we can actually get some storms. There was a lot of lightning driving home, all to the north of Anthem. I sure have missed thunderstorms.