Shortly after it is discovered that you are new to Arizona – transplanted – you will be asked 2 questions:
- Have you been through a summer?
- Have you been through a monsoon?
You will start to figure out that these must be important topics. The summer thing is a given. Yes, it gets pretty hot here and no, you’re probably not ready for it. But this monsoon thing, what the heck is the big deal about a monsoon?
Well, monsoon as it turns out is a term derived from the Arabic word mausim which means season. So instead of referring to a one-time event, the monsoon in Arizona refers to a season; a season of shifting winds from west to southeast, higher dew points, hot temperatures, haboobs and microburst! Scared yet??
Don’t be. Not that I want to trivialize the Monsoon because it can be quite intense but let’s give you some facts to wrap your thoughts around.
The season begins around June 15th and lasts until about September 30th. It is characterized by dew points higher than 55 degrees for multiple days and rainfall. The dewpoint means more humidity and the rainfall at times can be violent – sometimes called microburst. Flooding can and does occur. Swirling dust storms even get a name, “haboobs” which are very scary and dangerous for driving.
You are reading this blog as we near the beginning of the monsoon season for 2023, well 15 days or so away but who’s counting? The 2022 season was extremely active for rainfall and flooding to the north. Temperatures were“cooler” meaning several days in the 100 – 109 range instead of the blazing 110+ that we usually see. Don’t expect 2023 to be the same! Every year is different although we can hope for a repeat but you just have to wait and see!
It’s a time that most Arizona residents don’t look forward to, but it comes around every year and we live through it. We hope that storms don’t cause extensive damage – landscaping can take a beating. We stay away from the washes and flooded areas that can become dangerous (we’ll talk about the “Stupid Motorist law next) and we look forward to September 1st when we start to count the days until it’s over and the real reason we suffer through the “monsoon” once again becomes apparent. It’s sunny and 80 degrees for the next 60 days and beyond. Until the next June 15th rolls around…..