In Arizona, where is the dividing line between the Sonoran & Chihuahuan Deserts? (Tucson: tree, area)

[FirebirdCamaro1220]

Originally Posted by DAXhound

Perhaps, you are talking about illegals, I am talking about rainfall.
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com...wettest-desert

No, I am talking about rainfall. Good chunks of the Sonoran get only 2 to 3 inches of rain per year (Colorado River Valley, Imperial Valley and Coachella Valley). The driest parts of the Chihuahuan Desert get around 8 inches per year

[Desert kid]

Texas Canyon was always my belief.

[DAXhound]

Originally Posted by FirebirdCamaro1220

No, I am talking about rainfall. Good chunks of the Sonoran get only 2 to 3 inches of rain per year (Colorado River Valley, Imperial Valley and Coachella Valley). The driest parts of the Chihuahuan Desert get around 8 inches per year

I Googled it and there were at least 30 links stating Sonora is wettest. Can a GM driver post a link to back his claim?

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by elkotronics

I've lived in both Chihauhuan desert (Alpine, Tx) and Sonoran (Tucson) and also in Willcox. The Sulpher Springs Valley where Willcox is reminds me very much of Alpine and Marfa Texas except for the sky Islands around Willcox. Pretty much grassland.

As far as Saguaros go, they only grow naturally in a certain elevation range. I've never seen them even on the east side of the Rincons really. So I'd say drawing a north south line on I 10 it's about Mescal/J-6 where they are completely gone.

I don't recall any around Willcox when I lived there.

We've both lived in Willcox, AZ, eddie gein. You must remember the dry lake bombing range, then, eddie gein? Portions of the dry lake bed were used by the US military. It was used by Davis-Monthan Air Force Base as a target range. They even played with remote-controlled trucks back in 'ole '43. Trippy. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1966 for its fossil pollen captured underground. The place is visited by thousands of sandill craness that roost in the area. It's known as the Willcox Playa.

Playa.

I remember the Playa very well. When I lived in Willcox I used to take the access road by the railroad tracks on some of my runs. If I went far enough to get to the playa I would run on the edge of the playa because it was soft. Sometimes there was a little bit of standing water on the playa after rains.

I miss Willcox. I miss my Carter Burgers. If I were still there they would probably still be open. I also enjoyed cooking and eating a steak at Rix on occasion.

[FirebirdCamaro1220]

Originally Posted by DAXhound

I Googled it and there were at least 30 links stating Sonora is wettest. Can a GM driver post a link to back his claim?

I use NWS data (National Weather Service) for stations in the US, and have to rely on Wikipedia climate tables for stations in Mexico.

There are parts of the Sonoran Desert that get as much as 12 inches of rain per year (like Tucson), but overall, the Sonoran is very dry compared to the Chihuahuan Desert

[elkotronics]

I remember the Playa very well. When I lived in Willcox I used to take the access road by the railroad tracks on some of my runs. If I went far enough to get to the playa I would run on the edge of the playa because it was soft. Sometimes there was a little bit of standing water on the playa after rains.

I miss Willcox. I miss my Carter Burgers. If I were still there they would probably still be open. I also enjoyed cooking and eating a steak at Rix on occasion.

There ya go - I stirred ya up! Good. Yeah, I miss Willcox, too. If not for a Nazi nut CEO that rode in on a red horse I would still be there working at NCCH. Long time ago story that nobody would want to hear. It was nuts because he was nuts to make himself rich at everyone else's expense.

When I saw him fire a perfectly good, solid-working accountant there who had just bought a home in Willcox I knew things were going to get hairier. And they did. But I loved Willcox. Very interesting history there. Used to be the busiest cattle hop-on spot in the U.S. back in the 1920's. They'd hop them on there and shuttle them on trains to KC and other points eastward.

Ya ever get the chance, watch the movie called 'Red Rock West.' It stars Nicholas Cage, J.T Walsh, Lara Flynn Boyle and Dennis Hopper. Pretty entertaining flick plus NCCH is in it. In one of its old configurations. No kidding. Nic Cage and Dennis Hopper are classic in it! Nice ta talk ta you again, eddie gein.

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by elkotronics

There ya go - I stirred ya up! Good. Yeah, I miss Willcox, too. If not for a Nazi nut CEO that rode in on a red horse I would still be there working at NCCH. Long time ago story that nobody would want to hear. It was nuts because he was nuts to make himself rich at everyone else's expense.

This story breaks my heart. I loved that place. Too young and to ambitious for small town living back then. Not now though.

But back on topic. I'm trying to remember if there were any "protected" Saguaros in Willcox stuck in a nook or cranny somewhere. I honestly don't remember any but I wasn't looking. I do remember a handful of palm trees that were like that. maybe three or four that were protected from the north wind.

I think Desert Kid is familiar with Safford. I wonder what the Saguaro situation was there. I didn't go up there but a time or two and don't remember. I don't imagine there are any natural stands of Saguaro there but I wonder if there are any in town.

[DAXhound]

Originally Posted by FirebirdCamaro1220

I use NWS data (National Weather Service) for stations in the US, and have to rely on Wikipedia climate tables for stations in Mexico.

There are parts of the Sonoran Desert that get as much as 12 inches of rain per year (like Tucson), but overall, the Sonoran is very dry compared to the Chihuahuan Desert

I'll take that as a NO.

[FirebirdCamaro1220]

Originally Posted by DAXhound

I'll take that as a NO.

No, that is a yes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chihuahuan_Desert

6 to 16 inches in the Chihuahuan Desert

Driest location I could find in the Chihuahuan Desert is Presidio, Texas

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presid...as?wprov=sfla1

Locations in the Sonoran Desert that average under 5 inches of rain per year

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuma%2...na?wprov=sfla1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blythe...ia?wprov=sfla1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Cen...ia?wprov=sfla1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indio%...ia?wprov=sfla1

[Desert kid]

Originally Posted by FirebirdCamaro1220

No, that is a yes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chihuahuan_Desert

6 to 16 inches in the Chihuahuan Desert

Driest location I could find in the Chihuahuan Desert is Presidio, Texas

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presid...as?wprov=sfla1

Locations in the Sonoran Desert that average under 5 inches of rain per year

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuma%2...na?wprov=sfla1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blythe...ia?wprov=sfla1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Cen...ia?wprov=sfla1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indio%...ia?wprov=sfla1

It's not lost on me that New Mexico comparatively gets more rain than Arizona.

Nothing quite like seeing a monsoon roll off the Gila National Forest on the NM side, cross over onto Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest above Morenci to my northeast to dump a real, violent gullywasher on the Gila Valley.

Back when I lived north of Safford in the 1990s, my birthday was typically a day where a crazy lightning storm would knock out the power. My 5th birthday was completely in the dark.