When heavy rain comes to dry land

As far as the eye could see, the dry land was overcome by the rain

(Credit: Kathleen Craig)

The navigation system shows the outside temperature at 64 degrees just minutes after having been in the 90s.

(Credit: Kathleen Craig)

WINSLOW, Ariz.--I'm standing on a corner in...

Well, if you're an Eagles fan, you get the picture.

Actually, I've just arrived in this town near the Meteor Crater--which I'll be visiting Sunday for a story and photo gallery for my Road Trip around the Southwest--after a long day on the road, and much of it was spent navigating through a heavy rain storm.

At first, it was odd that the outside temperature was dropping precipitously from the high-90s into the 70s and then the 60s.

After a powerful rainstorm, the dry land alongside Arizona's I-40 quickly became totally saturated.

(Credit: Kathleen Craig)

But then it started to rain. A notable thing, I thought, driving through mid-July, mid-day, mid-Arizona. But it was just a few drops.

Then the skies opened up, and it began to really come down.

And next thing I knew, the bone-dry land opposite Interstate 40 was saturated. It was truly a site to behold, and I was deeply happy I wasn't standing at the bottom of a narrow valley anywhere near there at that moment, as it seemed certain that a flash flood had sprung up nearby.