What happened to the monsoon in Tucson is this the new normal? (Benson: vacation home, buyer)

[whitem3]

There are several factors, but the position of a strong ridge of high pressure is the main reason.

https://www.kgun9.com/weather/why-is...ot-this-summer

[eddie gein]

Originally Posted by Listener2307

Can't answer your question, but you sure piqued my interest.
Tucson has a monsoon season? .... Who knew?!
OK. I know it's some sort of local joke/terminology, and it's kinda cute to those of us who have seen an actual frog drowning monsoon.
I'll look into it.


It rained here today. And after the rain the sun came back and it was 89 degrees. Felt like a jillion, but it's why I like the South; just feels good, somehow....
We get about 55 inches a year.

"Monsoon season" is a common term all over the southwest. And although misnamed, if you ever got caught outside in one you wouldn't be chuckling. These storms are vicious. About a two hour deluge on many and sometimes every late afternoon and early evening in July and August replete with lightning strikes and monstrously loud thunder and temporary street flooding (which is why streets are wider in the southwest).

I've felt the ground shake with an Arizona lighting strike close by during a monsoon. While driving one time on I-10 I had a transformer explode when it got hit by lighting. Just white light everywhere for a split second.

I've heard of people sitting on their porch watching the lightning show getting zapped and killed.

And every year people get killed when the wall of water comes down the wash like a tsunami after one of these storms and washes them or them and their car away.

They are really just your basic thunderstorm on steroids.....and the monsoon nickname comes from their frequency during the two months they occur.

[TimAZ]

Saying “monsoon season” is redundant, it’s just the monsoon. Monsoon means a season where the wind changes direction, often accompanied by rain. Here in the desert SW, the monsoon is when moisture comes up from the south and we get a lot of rain for a few months.

[elkotronics]

Saying “monsoon season” is redundant, it’s just the monsoon. Monsoon means a season where the wind changes direction, often accompanied by rain. Here in the desert SW, the monsoon is when moisture comes up from the south and we get a lot of rain for a few months.

Bingo - boingo - bango. And here in Alamogordo, NM, we have been getting a proper 2020 monsoon. Mosquitos follow the monsoon, to our added enjoyment.

[Oklazona Bound]

Originally Posted by elkotronics

Saying “monsoon season” is redundant, it’s just the monsoon. Monsoon means a season where the wind changes direction, often accompanied by rain. Here in the desert SW, the monsoon is when moisture comes up from the south and we get a lot of rain for a few months.

Bingo - boingo - bango. And here in Alamogordo, NM, we have been getting a proper 2020 monsoon. Mosquitos follow the monsoon, to our added enjoyment.

In Tucson August is going to be the hottest month since they have been keeping track of it by a wide margin. And so far the dried one ever also. Phoenix is on pace to also have its hottest month ever. And July 2020 was the previous hottest month ever.

Spending my summer in flyover country in the middle of America its been nice. Below normal for the summer. Last summer I spent most of it in Arizona. The covid hot spot kept me away this summer. Glad I did for several reasons.

[elkotronics]

I'm ready for things to cool off over here in Alamo. Been a hot one and at times, a muggy one, too.

[okie bird dog]

in NE okla we had a lot rain in the middle of summer that we usually don't get at that time of year. Everything was so green but now we are back in our terribly dry, but very humid, period where some grass is browning out. So humid that it is miserable but we have also had some cooler weather at times, almost needing a jacket early in the morning as I drink coffee on the deck. Storm just east of here this morn and a shower here because of hurricane. We are heading out on the 15th, finally if the house sale closes on time, moving to SE Arizona. We have not chosen area yet but will be small town. Three years in the making and it is finally here. We will live in Arizona from now on. For one thing we would never go through this again. We have appreciated all the comments over the past few years and if anyone has info, pro and con, on Benson or Rio Rico we would be thankful.

[Oklazona Bound]

Originally Posted by okie bird dog

in NE okla we had a lot rain in the middle of summer that we usually don't get at that time of year. Everything was so green but now we are back in our terribly dry, but very humid, period where some grass is browning out. So humid that it is miserable but we have also had some cooler weather at times, almost needing a jacket early in the morning as I drink coffee on the deck. Storm just east of here this morn and a shower here because of hurricane. We are heading out on the 15th, finally if the house sale closes on time, moving to SE Arizona. We have not chosen area yet but will be small town. Three years in the making and it is finally here. We will live in Arizona from now on. For one thing we would never go through this again. We have appreciated all the comments over the past few years and if anyone has info, pro and con, on Benson or Rio Rico we would be thankful.

I am near Stillwater and the humidity has been below normal. Everything is green and the highs have been about 15-20 degrees lower than Tucson most of the summer. The high pressure that has kept the southwest hot seems to have filtered air from the great lakes down this way and kept the gulf humidity to the south. 4 summers here and the lawn is always green. Seems to be just enough rain to keep it that way.

If working is not important Benson is ok. I like St. David just south of there. Lots of trees and greener than Benson. Rio Rico is nice also. Again no jobs unless you drive to Tucson daily. Sierra Vista is also an option. If I was going to live in Arizona full time it would be Cochice county hands down. Best climate in the state and relaxed living.

[okie bird dog]

Thankyou Oklazona for your reply. We appreciate all the information we get from various sources because opinions do vary, some seem to think one place is a paradise while another trashes it. Glad to hear you like Cochise county because, as best as we can tell now, that is where we would prefer to end up. We are retired so jobs are not an issue. We have been all over the state except for SE corner. We really love Prescott but decided they have too much winter, even though they are mild. The rate in which property values increased is also an issue. We are not moving from an area where housing cost is high, we are moving from an area where housing costs are very reasonable so we will have to pay much more to get what we have now, even in SE Arizona. No problem, just saying. We will be leaving out on the 15th and don't even have a place to store stuff yet or a place to rent. We hesitate because you never know how things are progressing until you do final closing on houses. The property sold last year where the closing was held up by a couple of months while things were straightened up on the buyers end. Judging by your call name, is moving to Arizona on your agenda too? I hope we will always have the freedom to live the life we chose and where we chose to live it. As they say "if you can live anywhere you want, live where enjoy spending the most time". For us it is Arizona. Thankyou again and if anyone else has an opinion we would love to hear it. When we get there we will have a lot of decisions to make.

[NORTY FLATZ]

Monsoons occur just after haboobs...