Monsoon Season

Ah yes: loved those at Twentynine Palms. We had one in 1988 that we lazily watched coming toward us for hours–you could see both sides of it–and then swept away everything in its unexpected fury: tents, cots, desks–even Hummers were sashaying across the desert on the tide of water and heavy winds. We had twenty guys standing on the supports for our maintenance tent, which we rode like a fair ride as it lifted off its spikes.

The storm probably lasted less than an hour, and then everything was sunny and calm by early evening.

I tell you though, the Mojave desert sure looked different the next day: bright green. But then: that only lasted a day or two as well.

Since someone has to play the stultifying pedant on threads like this …

From the Phoenix Weather Service site:
Correct definition of Monsoon: Any wind that reverses its direction seasonally.
Wrong definition of Monsoon: Thunderstorms that occur in Arizona during the summer are called monsoons.

The monsoon in Phoenix is said to start when there are three consecutive days when the dew point averages 55 degrees or higher. Average start date is July 7th.

This year the Weather Service made a lame proposal to scrap even referring to it as a monsoon. “Severe thunderstorm season” appears to have been the hopelessly prosaic alternative.

And I would love to see more recent data, but apprently development between the ’50s and the ’80s did change the pattern of summer rain in the urban areas.

Summertime diurnal precipitation patterns for Phoenix, Arizona are analyzed for the period 1954 through 1985. Although the mean precipitation amounts and frequencies for the entire summer monsoon season have not shown any significant effects from the rapidly developing urban heat island, diurnal patterns have displayed substantial changes in the recent period of explosive population growth. During the most recent 16 years, late afternoon and evening storms have become more frequent and produce greater rainfall totals. Sharp declines are noted in the frequency of rain events between midnight and noon; especially large drops occur in the rainfall amounts between 9.00 and 12.00 MST.

Up here in the mountains we had a normal monsoon day. By 9AM the lightning all around caused me to put off my daily ride until noon. Probably reached a high of 79F or so, a week ago the high was 20F higher. Elevation 5500′.

I always thought there was something marvellously efficient about that sort of cloudburst. In your native country it clouded over in mid-June and there hasn’t been a dry day since.

Can’t imagine why you left.

It’s really remarkable.

I spent a few summers at, uh, that other university in Tempe more than 20 summers ago, and I remember those monsoons vividly.

And the aftermath — when it’s wet and 100+ degrees, the contrast between the cool air-conditioned university buildings and the environment immediately outside was astonishing. Stepping outdoors was like walking into a solid wall of atmosphere.

Ah, I miss monsoon season. Particularly that the f’ing rain and clouds go away after a little, allowing the return of the sun.

The season when thunder speaks – Tony Hillerman I think. Read the Great Taos Bank Robbery.
A good funny story and short.