Yesterday's Spring Storm Continues into Shabbat

I thought yesterday's Spring storm would peter-out in the evening. But no, when I awoke in the morning it was still raining, a cold wind was blowing, and deep puddles stood everywhere in Mitzpe Ramon. Throughout the afternoon the rain continued falling, sometimes quite hard. I would estimate the temperature in the 40s, wind chill in the 30s, with the wind blowing and gusting strongly out of the west. Several times during the day local streets were flooded with water runoff.

Satellite image on Saturday, 3/27/10 @ 4:00 AM

I later found out from Hanny at the 'neto that Route 40 between Sede Boquer and Mitzpe Ramon was closed from flooding several times during the day as the Wadis overflowed the road. I would estimate about two inches of rain fell over the 24 hours of the storm. Mitzpe Ramon's average annual rainfall is about 3.4 inches, which means we received about 2/3rds of our annual rainfalll in just one day. This is in addition to the 6+ inches of rain that have already fallen this year. During the earlier Winter rains in January, Mitzpe Ramon received more rain during one 48 hour period than had fallen altogether in the past 10 years. It has, indeed been a wet year, resulting in lots of desert flowers this Spring.

Desert flowers have bloomed in great numbers in this very wet year.

 

First Flowers of Spring

I saw the very first flowers of Spring today in Mitzpe Ramon. These aren't desert wild flowers, they are cultivated in the local park. But it's still a good sign.

Juniper in bloom

There are many Juniper bushes in Mitzpe Ramon. They are a hardy evergreen and the first to bloom in Spring. In fact, these have been blooming since about Tu B'Shevat, but since they are still going strong I include them here now.

A daisy blooms among the Juniper bushes

This interesting tree with seed pods still hanging from the branches also just started blooming after Tu B'Shevat and is just now coming into its own.

And what garden would be complete without weeds?

A dandelion among thorns.

The rose beds have started being watered with drip irrigation, too. Should be interesting to see what comes up here in a while.

A rose bed in Mitzpe Ramon under drip irrigation.