Heather's Corner: Monsoons-It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I love the monsoons! So does Beatrice.

So what if my backyard floods every time it rains. I don't care that I have to keep towels by my front window when the water decides to come at the house in a horizontal down pour. And least of all do I care that our dog, Beatrice, thinks the sofa is her personal grooming towel to dry off when she comes back in from doing her business. I love it all!

So I thought I would share a few facts I found on monsoons with you:

Beatice Enjoys The Monsoon!

• 32 percent our of Arizona’s yearly rain totals come during the monsoon. 
• 40 percent of In Pinetop’s yearly rain totals come during the monsoon. 
• 62 percent of Bisbee’s yearly rain totals come during the monsoon. 
• Lightning will strike about 500,000 times during the monsoon. 
• There are between 500 and 600 Arizona weather spotters. 
• The term “monsoon” comes from the Arabic “mausim” meaning “season” or “wind shift”. 
• The Arizona monsoon officially begins June 15th. Until recently, the monsoon was official three consecutive day of dew points above 55 degrees. Now it officially starts whether there is any change in the dew point or not. 
• The official last day of the monsoon is September 30th. 
• The word “monsoon” refers to a season by definition, and should never be used with the word “season”. 
• The Arizona monsoon usually continues for about two months resulting in about 2 1/2 inches of rain and about 1/3 of our yearly rainfall. 
• Monsoon storms range from minor dust storms to violent thunderstorms. Arizona monsoon storms start with heavy winds sometimes resulting in a visible wall of dust hundreds of feet high. 
• Dust storms during the monsoon are normally accompanied by thunder and lightning and often lead to heavy downpours. 
• The longest Arizona monsoon is recorded as 99 days in 1984. -The shortest Arizona monsoon on record is 27 days in 1962. 
• The most rain generated from an Arizona monsoon was 9.38 inches in 1984. 
• The driest monsoon in Arizona was .35 inches in 1924 

Arizona Stupid Motorist law, enacted in 1995 for governments to hold motorists responsible for rescue and recovery who knowingly enter a roadway or wash in rushing waters from a monsoon, even has it's own Facebook page now.

There you can learn: "If you get caught in a ‪monsoon, pull over and turn off your lights. Stay safe. Don't be a stupid motorist!"

And for those looking for a more scientific approach to monsoons, they are most simply a response to the sun heating up the atmosphere. "In Arizona, the process starts with the hot and dry weather of May and June. Usually, the winds are from a dry westerly direction, so humidity is low and temperatures soar above 100 degrees in the deserts. As the atmosphere warms, the jet stream retreats northward. this allows the winds to shift to a more southerly component and bring in the moisture. Most of our humid air comes from the Sea of Cortez, but a good portion also comes from the Gulf of Mexico. Once the moist air arrives, our strong summer sun heats the moist air causing the familiar thunderstorm (cumulonimbus) clouds." (Source)

We'd love you to share any monsoon photos with us.

In the meantime keep enjoying all the benefits of the monsoons and this photo of Beatrice doing the same.
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Heather Nenadovich has lived in Oro Valley a total of five years. She has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Arizona. Her husband is Canadian so she is a hockey fan by default and so are her two very clever children. When not being a mommy, she enjoys hiking in Catalina State Park, hand building pottery, and gardening. Her favorite things about living in Oro Valley are the towns recognition of art and culture, their commitment to preserving nature and the Christmas parade. (Also anything from GMG Chinese Bistro.)