Arizona

Arizona Monsoons

Visitors to Arizona need to be aware of the summer monsoon season in Arizona.  Heavy winds, thunder, lightening, flash floods and even hail are all part of our rainy season.  No one wishes for rain more than a desert dweller in the middle of an Arizona summer.   In Arizona, monsoon storms range from minor dust storms to sudden violent thunderstorms.  Monsoon thunderstorms can do significant damage and dramatically alter lives the through flash flooding, lightening strikes and accidents.  During the summer monsoon season comes fierce thunderstorms and typically the heaviest rains of the year.  Dust Storms are especially dangerous when motorist are traveling on major highways and interstates.  These storms can often result in chain reaction accidents along our interstates.  

Typically, Arizona monsoon storms start with heavy winds sometimes resulting in a visible wall of dust hundreds of feet high moving across the desert.  Yearly a few ignorant people try to cross flooded streets that have been barricaded and end up being washed away.  It is not unusual to lose a few  people each monsoon season by the resulting flash floods.  In Arizona there is a law (The Stupid Motorist Law)  that says  if you ignore the barricades and have to be rescued, you will have to pay for the rescue, that is,  if you are lucky enough to survive.  When I first moved to Arizona I thought it was unbelievable that someone could drown in a desert, but now I know.

Most Arizona winters are warm and sunny during the day.  In the northern mountainous regions in the state of Arizona, seasons are the opposite of the dry desert areas.  In the desert regions, winters are mild, summers are blazing hot May through June until the monsoon rains break the heat in early July.  The month of August can also be humid and hot because of the monsoons.  It is not unusual to  experience warm weather in September and October while in the desert.

Arizona winters in the desert are ideal for you golfing enthusiasts and great place to enjoy other outdoor activities such as tennis, horse shoes, lawn bowling, bicycling and hiking, swimming to name  a few.  Arizona winters in the mountainous regions are ideal for snowboarding, skiing, ice fishing, riding ski mobiles and visiting the Grand Canyon.    Our state’s mild winter days and scenic fishing spots offer anglers lots of opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors.  The town of Flagstaff and areas in the northern part of the state are the coolest parts of Arizona probably, gets snow normally in the winter, are nowhere near as hot in the summer.