Arizona republican., 1909-02-22
EFFECT OF 4 SNOWsT0RM
All the Youngsters Engaged in the Storybook Pastime of Snowballing--No Con- sequent Damage Reported From Any Source.

Whether the elements took ad- vantage of the absence of Opser- yer Jesunofsky from the city, or whether it was only additional phenomena attending the session of the last territorial legislature is not explained, but it is certain that Phoenix was visited yesterday aft ernoon by one of the most specta- cular storms witnessed here since the white men began keeping re- cords. It was a hail storm of great violence, though the hailstones were small, averaging about three-e -eighths of an inch in diameter, the very largest being no bigger than a small marble. Hail storms are usually short and this one lasted for twelve minutes, which is longer than the average and seemed a great deal longer than it was. The most sur prising feature of the storm was the nasty fall of the temperature. At 2:3S D. m. it stod at 50. In three minutes it fell to 36. the low record for the day. The hail began at 2:40 and lasted until 2:52.
 The hail fell thick and fast, thund- CT and lightning accompanying the precipitation, the measurements at the observatory showing the hail to have averaged a depth of a quarter of an inch had it been evenly divided all over the surface. The high wind however, banked it several inches deep in protected places. The hail was not as hard and icy as it might have been on a colder day and was very white and snowy in appearance. Following it came a drizZling show cry rain that lasted most of the afternoon and it was not long until the accumulated hail in the sheltered places looked like snow banks and served very nicely for the purpose of snowbaiIing, which became great sport during the rest of the day for all the younger people and many older ones.
 Few, who ventured to cross the streets, escaped the batteries of the small boy, and D. R. Morris, who is playing the role of Weather Burro" during the absence of Observer JesunOfsky got "his'n." He was re- turning from the telegraph office where he had been to tell MT. Moore down in Washington how the weather had got away from his con- trol when he was spotted by the snowballers.
 In the morning it had been very windy the wind attaining a speed of twenty-eight miles about Il o'clock. It then calmed, grew cloudy and as related the storm broke in mid afternoon, continuing rainy un- til late last evening.-The total pre- cipitation for the day was A inch. The storm was first located south west of Phoenix, then moved north to a point west of Phoenix, then moved east over Phoenix It was entirely local in character and probably was not more than ten or fifteen miles wide though it is known that hail fell as far east as Mesa City. The conditions were such that a local storm was not un- expected, though it varied in form from what one would usually ex- pect.
 Hailstorms are by no means un- known here. In fact since 1898 the l years 1900, 1904. and 1906, are the only ones in which no hail storm is | recorded. In four of the other years there was one hail storm each and | in the other four there were two each. Yesterdays storm however, was the most spectacular one of all, | though larger hailstones have fallen | before.
 Another thing that many perhaps | do not know is that Phoenix some- | times has light hailstorms in the | summertime. The only months in | which the bureau has no record of a hailstorm are March, June, July, | October and December. In 1905 there | was a hail storm in August. and | that is going some for Phoenix. | Arizona
 It is not believed there was any serious damage done by the storm. | The temperature of the day was much more mild than that of many | clear days and the only hurt that | may have been done was the beat ing of the fruit buds of the almond | trees or other early fruits that may be in the Towering stage. It is possible the little sugar beats got a whipping, but it is not likely they