September 2, 2005

High, high above a gauzy lower layer of rapidly flowing cirrus, billowing sails of cumulus were flying in the opposite direction.  We were intrigued by this very noticeable atmospheric phenomenon.  Clouds rushing in opposite directions? We speculated: what kind of weather was this bringing? 

…Hmmm…Cumulus from the warm Southwest laden with moisture…the wispy cirrus from the Northeast would cool the bottom of the warm air causing it to drop moisture. We predicted…Rain!!  Not unusual following the recent pattern.

We returned inside to work.  Sometime later a sudden darkness made us aware of rapidly rising wind and…a clattering on the upstairs skylight made us jump. This was no rainstorm!  Heavy beating reverberated from the outside walls and we could see icy pellets  bouncing from the ground.  Twenty minutes later the storm had passed.

The ground was white with hailstones larger than marbles.  Shivering in the now cold air, we went to investigate the garden—anticipating visions of mangled plants.  Drat!  Never mind the vegetables.  My sweet peas had achieved a state of profuse bloom and heavenly scent—which wafted to us as we entered the gate.  Amazing!  No flattened or shredded plants. The only damage seemed to be one inch holes in the large flat leaves of the sunflowers and squash.  Curiously, we investigated the hailstones still covering the ground.  Several small pellets had frozen together to form a final uneven large stone.  Even after some time had passed the larger ones still measured one inch!

Returning to the house we were amazed to notice that the white swath of frozen hail cut a very localised narrow track straight up over the mountain—south-west to north-east—like a paintbrush stroke.  The same direction as the billowing cumulus clouds.

 

Special Article by Enid Petherick

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