I never tire of traveling to Grand Canyon in hopes of capturing some amazing photographs of rainbows, thunderstorms, or lightning. Here are a few recent images showing how inspiring the weather can be at Grand Canyon.
Twilight lightning near Grand Canyon.
Storms had quickly weakened and dissipated during the late afternoon and I was about to pack my gear and head home when a small thunderstorm began to develop north of Grand Canyon. As the sun dropped below the horizon leaving only the upper portions of the storm bathed in soft light this lightning bolt sparked from the anvil region and moved through clear air before striking the Vermillion cliffs in the distance.
Another day brought numerous showers moving across the canyon…
Rain showers sweeping across Grand Canyon.
…with a few lightning strikes in the canyon.
Lightning strikes in Grand Canyon.
Then, to finish the day, there was this partial rainbow with supernumeraries.
Partial rainbow with supernumerary.
Understandably, some visitors may be unhappy with the less-than-perfect weather during their visit to Grand Canyon but I couldn’t be happier.
July has turned out to be a good month for photographing weather across northern Arizona. For a few days in the middle of the month I was able to capture images of lightning, rainbows, and colorful clouds at sunset near Sedona and the Grand Canyon.
The conditions on 13 July 2015 were about perfect for late afternoon photography. Deep moisture was present across the eastern half of Arizona while very dry air persisted across the west. This allowed storms to form over the eastern half of the state while clear skies allowed the setting sun to shine brightly on the landscape near Sedona.
Visible satellite image showing clouds across eastern Arizona and clear skies across western Arizona.
Cathedral Rock was nicely illuminated by the setting sun and shafts of rain caught the sunset colors. A faint rainbow was also present adding an additional dimension to the scene.
Lightning flashes behind Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona.Lightning and a partial rainbow frame Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona.
After the sun set, I repositioned so that I could catch twilight colors in the western sky and lightning from additional storms. In the background can be seen the highly textured shape of the Cockscomb.
Lightning splits the sky behind the Cockscomb in Sedona, Arizona.
The next day proved to be difficult for lightning photographs but the sunset colors on the clouds over Cathedral Rock were very dramatic.
The setting sun lights up the anvil of a thunderstorm behind Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona.
Sensing a need for a different location, I travelled to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon a few days later (16 July) hoping to get some lightning photos over the canyon. The atmosphere had stabilized some and storms were much weaker and very little lightning was observed.
Visible satellite image showing a decrease in storm activity compared to previous days.
Consolation prize was a partial rainbow over the Canyon.
While returning to Flagstaff from a quick trip the other day, we stopped for a few minutes at the Navajo bridge across the Colorado River near Lee’s Ferry. Lee’s Ferry is the launch location for boat trips down the Colorado River through Marble Canyon and Grand Canyon. These rafts had probably launched within the hour and were beginning a multi-day trip down the river.
Heavy rains in recent days had deposited a large load of silt into the Paria River—which empties into the Colorado River just below the boat launch site. Stream flow increased from a baseline of about 8 cfs (cubic feet per second) to around 1000 cfs.
Stream flow on the Paria River near Lee’s Ferry.
These boaters may have been hoping for clear water for the initial portion of their river trip—but did not get it.
Widespread, dense fog covered portions of northern Arizona for more than a week in early December. The fog appeared at Winslow, Arizona (KINW), during the evening of December 3 and finally dissipated on the afternoon of December 12. Similar conditions were experienced in Flagstaff, Arizona (KFLG), with fog appearing on the afternoon of December 4 and finally dissipating in the evening of December 10. For some locations, including Flagstaff, the fog was episodic with periods of dense fog interspersed with clear conditions. Farther to the northeast, including places such as Winslow and the Chinle Valley, the fog was more persistent.
A sea of fog across northern Arizona at sunrise.
The fog was the result of a heavy rainfall event across northern Arizona December 2–4. Many locations received between 1 and 2 inches of rain. Following the rain, high pressure developed across the southwest and a strong thermal inversion developed. The inversion was finally removed when a trough moved across the region bringing strong southwest winds and steeper lapse rates.
Visible satellite image showing extensive areas of fog across northern Arizona.
It should be noted that thermal inversions are not rare. Quite the contrary. An inversion commonly occurs at night and during the winter when the angle of the sun is very low in the sky. After last years fog event in the Grand Canyon, some in the media declared that thermal inversions are rare and that the inversion was the cause of the fog. Not really. Both then and now the moisture evaporated out of the soils but was trapped near the ground by the inversion. And, slowly but surely, the moisture content of the lowest few hundred meters of the atmosphere became saturated and fog developed.
Well—enough of the meteorological explanation. What did it look like?
When these shallow fog events occur it is possible to find hills and mountains that are above the inversion so that an observer can look down on the fog. This often results in some amazing photographic opportunities. Anticipating that the fog would occur, I was ready to travel to the Grand Canyon to capture images of the fog filling the canyon. Well, it didn’t quite fill the canyon—at least, not like last year. But there were still photographic opportunities.
I also found myself on the lower slopes of the San Francisco Peaks north of Flagstaff and was able to capture images and video of the fog streaming across the pass between the San Francisco Peaks and O’Leary Peak as well as the sea of fog across the Little Colorado River Valley.
With autumn winding down and winter just around the corner in northern Arizona, it was our last chance to attempt a Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim (R2R2R) hike across the Grand Canyon. Several years ago we tried the R2R2R but strong winds drove us back as we neared the North Rim. Although we were only about 3-1/2 miles from the finish, it was the prudent thing to do. Later that year, we tried again but a problem with my iliotibial band turned us around after only a few miles and we settled for a shorter hike.
Jump forward a few years and the knee issues have gone into remission. With fine weather expected and the moon just a few days past full it was time to try again.
We left the South Rim on the South Kaibab Trail (elevation 7260′) at midnight with a temperature in the low 40’s and 20–30 mph winds. Hats, gloves, and vests/parkas were required for this initial descent. At times, the wind was so fierce that we wondered if we should continue. By the time we had descended to Cedar Ridge (6060′) the wind had diminished enough to allow us to shed some of the excess gear.
With the bright moon high overhead and headlamps we were able to easily travel downhill. Traveling in the dark with a bright moon and no other hikers around is an amazing experience. It’s so quiet! We traveled quickly and arrived at the Colorado River (2480′) at 3:30 a.m. Temperatures were in the low 60’s and we took a long food and water break at Phantom Ranch before starting up the North Kaibab Trail through Bright Angel Canyon.
First light high on the canyon walls.
A short distance up stream from Phantom Ranch is “The Box.” Traveling through The Box can be the hottest part of the hike with its high and close walls of granite but it was still dark and pleasantly cool as we traversed this section of Bright Angel Canyon. The last time we were here, spring snow melt had resulted in so much water rushing down the creek that boulders were constantly moving, grinding, and crashing into each other underwater resulting in a raucous cacophony of sound. Not tonight; the gentle flow of water resulted in a delightful sound that was mesmerizing in the dark.
North Kaibab Trail in Roaring Springs Canyon.
We arrived at Cottonwood campground (4080′), about 8 miles from Phantom Ranch, shortly after sunrise. We learned that the water had already been shut off for the season which meant there might not be any drinking water available uphill from here. Luckily, water was still running at the Roaring Springs Pumphouse Residence (~5200′) and we refilled here.
Supai Bridge on the North Kaibab Trail in Roaring Springs Canyon.
From Phantom Ranch to Roaring Springs Residence the North Kaibab Trail is a gentle uphill climb. The trail leaves Bright Angel Canyon just past the Residence and ascends Roaring Springs Canyon which is a much steeper section of trail. The trail is narrow and perched on a nearly vertical wall with steep drops to the side. It can be very intimidating.
Supai Bridge in Roaring Springs Canyon as seen from North Kaibab Trail.
The trail crosses the narrow canyon at Supai Bridge and begins a series of steep switchbacks to the top. Along the way, you pass through Supai Tunnel (6800′). Not surprisingly, the water here had been turned off for the season. We arrived at the North Rim (8240′) at 12:15 p.m., where we had a leisurely lunch. Already very tired from the long climb, we now had to reverse and do it in the opposite direction.
Coconino Overlook on the North Kaibab Trail.
As we descended Roaring Springs Canyon we stopped often to take photographs as the light was much better in the afternoon than it had been in the morning. The trees in the bottom of the canyon were still showing autumn colors and the narrowness of the trail as it hugged the canyon cliff was much more impressive. We stopped again at the Residence to refill our water bottles, drink, eat, and rest.
Narrow trail and steep cliffs in Roaring Springs Canyon.
Darkness descended upon us down canyon from Cottonwood Campground and, once again, we traversed The Box in the cool darkness, arriving at Phantom Ranch at 8 p.m. Many campers were hanging around waiting for the cantina to re-open so they could visit the bar. I was definitely interested in a beer but thought better of it. Instead, I lay down on the picnic bench to rest and, not too surprisingly, fell asleep, awakening around 9 p.m.
Narrow trail, steep cliffs, and autumn colors on the trees in Roaring Springs Canyon.
After drinking lots of water, consuming as many calories as we could, and filling our water bottles, we departed Phantom Ranch around 9:30 p.m. and began the long and steep climb back up South Kaibab Trail. Clouds during the evening prevented us from getting any useful moon light so we were on headlamp lighting only. Once again, winds became strong and gusty as we ascended and we donned the warmer clothing.
Finally, at 3:15 a.m., we arrived at the South Rim. It had taken us 27 hours and my goal had been 24 hours. Although I was slightly disappointed at how slow we had traveled I was very happy that my third attempt at R2R2R had been successful. Total: 42 miles and 10,540 feet of ascent.
