More snow and rain are due!

Although I don't care for the cold, I am happy for the precipitation. Clouds were clear in the morning but the storm clouds came back in the afternoon and it rained some more in the early evening. This was perfect indoor weather that kept me inside reading my assignments.

___
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/279394.php
Published: 02.08.2009
Storms expected to last; may bring snow to desert floor
Half-inch of rain in Tucson today; up to 8 inches of snow already fallen on Mount Lemmon
By Alex Dalenberg

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

The late-winter storms that dropped a half-inch of rain on Tucson today and up to 8 inches of snow on Mount Lemmon will linger into the week — and forecasters say there's a chance snow may fall on the desert floor.

Forecasters already have a winter storm watch in effect for elevations above 4,000 feet Monday evening though Tuesday afternoon, said Chris Rasmussen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

The storm is expected to bring 10 to 18 inches of snow above 7,000 feet, Rasmussen said.
The forecast adds up to good news for skiers. If the predictions are correct, Mount Lemmon’s Ski Valley, which sits at about 8,200 feet, should be able to open its ski runs later this week, said Graham Davies, an area manager at Ski Valley.

Four to 8 inches of snow fell on the mountain Sunday, but no official totals were available Sunday night, Rasmussen said.

Ski Valley had just over a foot of snow left over from December. If the slopes get another 6 inches or more they should be be, “good to go,” Davies said.

“Hopefully, we’ll be open in the next couple of days … If I believe what the weatherman says,” he said.

Because of the winter weather, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department closed the Catalina Highway at the base of Mount Lemmon to the public Sunday morning and again that evening, said Deputy Nicole Feldt, an agency spokeswoman.

Access to the mountain today will depend on the weather. The mountain was open for a short time Sunday, but only to vehicles with snow chains or four-wheel-drive, Feldt said.
In addition to snow in the mountains, about half an inch of rain fell throughout the Tucson area Sunday, Rasmussen said.

More rain should fall early this week as a low pressure system moves through the area, he said. Snow could fall in the high desert with 2 to 4 inches expected between 4,000 and 5,000 feet Monday evening, Rasmussen said.

“We’re in a fairly active weather pattern right now,” he said.