Hail Ridgecrest

I returned home from a School Advisory Council Meeting this evening around 8:30. My wife and I were sitting in the living room watching the Denver Broncos whoop up on the KC Chiefs. We were catching up on the day. You know, complaining about work, discussing the kids, making plans for tomorrow.

Just a few minutes after 9 PM there was a loud bang and the whole house went dark. The twins were already in bed so it didn't bother them much. But our oldest was just getting out of the shower and she freaked a little. The power outage only lasted a few seconds. Just long enough for me to get to the kitchen counter and start to reach for the flashlight that is kept there.

So we made a pass through the house making sure that everyone had a flashlight handy. When I walked back into the family room I noticed that the rain coming down outside seemed rather loud. I opened the rear door and stepped out onto the patio. The noise was deafening. I stood there for a few seconds marveling at the noise of the rain when I discovered the little white balls bouncing down the roof and onto the patio table.

Hail!

I have lived in Ridgecrest for almost 20 years and this is the first hail that I ever remember seeing here. They may have been hail storms in the past but none that I recall.

It wasn't big hail, only about a quarter inch in diameter. It was kind of soft and not well formed. But solid enough to survive impact with roof and then the patio.

Finally the hail stopped and it rained for a few minutes. Then everything quieted down.

Now just as I was writing this post the power goes out again. Only about 30 seconds this time. Then right after the power comes back on, the hail starts again.

Do you think that the hail keeps turning off the lights so it can sneak up on us? I've heard that it can be rather devious that way.