what just happened?

Arizona is so strange sometimes.  Today we had the strangest bought of weather.  The day started off like any other "fall" day.  Warm, with a hint of maybe cooling off a bit.  I came prepared today.  I had my fleece in hand to wear inside the frigid auditorium where the AC is cranked.  However, if I would have noticed the warning of what was to come...humidity.  Today was oddly humid.

But I continued on with my day.  I went to class and then to sim lab where I worked on veneers for Dexter.  At lunch, it started to rain just as I reached my apartment.  Exciting, but not very unusual for this time of year.  After lunch, I took my umbrella and walked back to class.  I must have made it just in time, because the poor people that came in after me were DRENCHED.  That's how it rains in Arizona.  Torrential downpour for 5 minutes.  Dry up and be sunny for 55 minutes.  Repeat over and over all day.  After class, I went to the gym with my "accountabilibuddies".  That was when the real storm started.

I was minding my own business, chugging away on the treadmill when I heard this strange buzzing over the pounding of my feet and the music of my iPod.  It was the sound of the rain hitting the metal roof of the gym.  Suddenly, I see every single person in the room run to the window.  (People literally jumped off of the treadmills and exercise bikes.  It was intense.)  Not to miss out, I ran to the window to see what was up.  HAIL the size of GOLFBALLS.  I grabbed my phone and took a picture.

At that point, I was very happy that I walk to school and that my car was home safe under it's carport.

Eventually, the hail and rain stopped enough for us to make the trek home.  We were greeted with a gorgeous double rainbow (what does it mean?), which was no surprise really, because there is always a rainbow when it rains in Arizona.  Nevertheless, we stopped to take a picture.  This is what it looked like.

The hail had damaged a lot of the trees around here.  I'm pretty sure the landscaping guys will be out in full force tomorrow to get it cleaned up.

We made it home safely.  And, because I love to make fun of Arizona drivers, we decided to check the traffic report.  Rush hour traffic in AZ and rain and hail?  This is what happens.  Again, I am very glad I walk to school.  I suppose I shouldn't laugh at the face that people can't drive in the rain here or that the roads flood after 1/2 an inch.  But this traffic report is ridiculous!  Half the highways were closed!

And that was the crazy day in Arizona.  The temperature has dropped.  It is only 65 degrees and the windows are open.  It is a nice break from the heat.  (But don't worry, the 90s are back on next week.)  And here are more crazy weather shots from today.

The top photo is a shot of my apartment building and the rainbow.  The middle shot is taken looking west off the stairwell of my building.  The last one is not mine.  However, it was taken today by one of my classmates.  Totally accurate size comparison of the hail.