1992 vs. RE: [at-l] 2003 Rain Year

[nealb at midlandstech.com (William Neal)]

In 92 I called home as often as I could.  I would hear, "Nope, it has not
rained in days."  "Clouds went over yesterday, but nothing fell."  "I felt a
few drops this morning, but..."  In other words, it was a dry Spring and
Summer.  
 
But I had -- maybe -- 1 day out of 14 when I was not "rained" on for a few
months.  And I found out that most of the "rain" was not rain: I stepped out
into a homestead clearing and the rain stopped.  Got to the other side and
started right back up.  Then I got curious and stepped back into the
clearing and it stopped.  Walked to the far side and got under the trees and
it started back raining.  Out.  In.  Out.  In.  Out....  I finally realized
that the moisture in the clouds was gathering on leaves, and when it reached
a threshold point, it would drop from the leaves.  And there was so much
moisture in clouds that it constantly "rained" on anyone under the trees.  
 
Apparently the moisture was enough to collect on the trees but not enough to
be released in open areas as rain.  Or at least not often as rain.
 
Later I spent two weeks in Hot Springs and enjoyed an almost rainless two
weeks.  Even though it usually was very cloudy.
 
Also I checked some records and found that the cloud heights at home were
about the same as in the mts.  But the height in the mts. was near or at
ground level or below.  While by the time they got to my home turf, they
were several thousand feet above the ground, and so the trees were not
raking the moisture out of the clouds.
 
I wonder if the hikers are having the same experience this year, or are they
getting rained on only when real rain comes through.
 
William, The Soggy Turtle
 
 -----Original Message-----
From: RoksnRoots@aol.com [mailto:RoksnRoots@aol.com]
Sent: Saturday, June 07, 2003 12:56 PM
To: AT-L@Backcountry.net
Subject: [at-l] 2003 Rain Year





     I believe Maine got a good rain on the north end thursday. That should
keep some of the watering holes charged for the southbounders.

     The rest of the AT has a rain front over it today. I would bet 2003
hikers would consider this a wet year.

    The pattern should break soon with the onset of summer. From all this
rain the commonly dry sections should have good spring flows into July...

  

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.hack.net/pipermail/at-l/attachments/20030609/cd2a5d6f/attachment.htm