Hail and heavy rain hit Pine and Strawberry area along Mogollon Rim
GILA COUNTY, Ariz. - It was a wet day in the Pine and Strawberry area along the Mogollon Rim, complete with a mix of sunshine and hail.
Wild Weather:
The Pine and Strawberry area experienced cool, almost chilly weather throughout the day, along with thunder, lightning, rain, and a decent amount of hail.
Hail Hits Area:
Viewer video showed pea- to marble-size hail coming down on a porch. It was likely not hard or big enough to cause significant damage, but it left behind mounds of a muddy hail mixture along the side of the roadway. The hail remained for a few hours, making driving slightly trickier.
Local perspective:
Throughout the day, the region also experienced frequent thunder and lightning. An elk hunter who saw enough rough weather for one morning took a break for lunch indoors where it was warm and dry.
"Honest this morning, I was up on the roads up in the top of the rim and, you know, there’s a lot of lightning, a lot of thunder. Real loud. Came down heavy rain off and on. I decided to get out of there for a little while after the morning two-wheel drive," Daniel, a hunter, said.
Arizona weather forecast: Tornado warnings and heavy hail hit the High Country
Scattered storms and severe thunderstorm warnings bring heavy rain, pingpong-ball-sized hail, and tornado risks across Arizona.
Total Rainfall:
The Pine and Strawberry area has received more than 23 inches of rain so far this year. That is above average, as the area usually receives closer to 19 inches by this point in the year. The latest rain will add to those totals.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Daniel, an elk hunter; FOX 10 reporter Brian Webb; and previous FOX 10 reporting.