Snow Covered Santa Catalina’s Unveiled

Last Friday was clouded over, with a steady wintry mix of snow and rain all day. It was a day to stay inside and get caught up on the editing. For a while, I was able to do just that, until my sister, in New England, called on my cell. We found ourselves shooting the summer breeze and I was lamenting over the winter weather in Tucson this year. It has been the rainiest and coldest winter I can recall since moving here, fifteen years ago, I told her. Of course, being from New England, she could hardly shed a tear. Then, while looking out my front window, over my neighbor’s rooftop, I noticed the Santa Catalina’s had broken through the clouds. It was a magnificent, majestic, jaw dropping, sight to see!

The rain had, apparently, stopped, but for how long? The forecast called for a steady stream of precipitation to continue well into the next day.  As a photographer, I could not allow the rare opportunity of seeing the Catalina’s blanketed in so much snow go by, without at least attempting to capture some photos for posterity. What is here today may quickly be gone tomorrow. “Sis, I’m sorry! I love you but I have to go!”

I grabbed my camera, backpack and lenses, jumped in my car and headed out, to an unobstructed spot, away from the rooftops. Along the road, there were people pulled over everywhere, snapping photos with their cell phones. I was tempted to do the same thing for fear the moment would be gone, but banked that the opening in the clouds would hold long enough to get to higher ground.  

Santa Catalina Mountains in Snow
A brief lull in the storm unveiled the snow covered Santa Catalina Mountains, a rare sight in these parts. A few minutes later, rain resumed in the valley and the mountains disappeared again behind a curtain of clouds

Thankfully, it did. A few minutes after I took the photo above, the pitter-patter of rain began to fall, harder and harder, as I made my way back to my car. I stopped briefly to snap a few more, just before the mountains disappeared, again, behind a curtain of clouds.

The Disappearing Act
Clouds descend, as the Santa Catalina Mountains again disappear from view.

The photo below was taken earlier this winter, New Years Day, in fact. I include it because of the similar subject matter. I love the interplay of sun and clouds on the Catalina’s

New Years Day 2019
In Tucson, 2019 opened with a fresh layer of snow on the mountains. For me, that meant putting down the wine glass and celebrating with a camera in my hand instead. I love watching the interplay of sun and clouds on the Catalina’s. I love photographing it even more.

Author: Paul Van Helden

Paul Van Helden is a professional headshot, portraits, event, nature, still life and landscape photographer, based in Tucson Arizona. Some of his published credits include The Valley Wedding Pages and Sierra Club. Paul has worked professionally for over thirty years. Biologist and nature photographer Fred Dodd Jr. first introduced him to photography in 1982. Later, Paul studied photography at Dean College and began to photograph weddings under the tutelage of Craig Roberts of Franklin, Massachusetts. After working as a freelance wedding specialist for five years, he started his own photography business in Bellingham, Massachusetts in 1995. In December of 2004, he moved to the American Southwest, a part of the country he fell in love with, when he first visited the region in 1984.

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