How often does it rain in Flagstaff? (Phoenix: how much, high school)

[aelise]

I am moving to Flagstaff and the only data I can find is average precipitation measures, which is about 20" of rain per year. That seems kind of low. I live in Los Angeles currently where it rarely rains and I can't stand it!

So how often/how much does it rain in Flagstaff, more or less? Is there a "rainy season?" Is it year-round? What's the deal?

[azdr0710]

most of Arizona has a very pronounced summer rainy season in July and August....gets humid with afternoon storms, usually....Flag definitely gets this....can get cooler, windy, thunder-y very quickly in the afternoon in those months, but not every day.....we look forward to it a lot

there'll be a few snow "events" in the winter with snow piled up for a few days afterwards....always very cold at night in the winter...

during the other months, it'll rain every few weeks or so off and on for a day or three....usually low humidity and sunny skies 80-90% of the time or so....less rainy than LA

[Fiddlehead]

Hope this comes through.

http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?az3010

Anyhow, you can go to the Western Regional Climate Center and look up tons of data.

For you question:

LAX Receives about 12" of rain on 35 days per year.

Flagstaff receives about 21" of rain and 89" of snow on 82 days per year. It should feel a bit more rainy in the summer, but not at all oppressive. It is still a semi-arid climate, but you will see blue skies with billowy clouds, snow, rain,and lightning.

[aelise]

So it seems that Flagstaff has significantly more precipitation and weather events in general, than Los Angeles. That is encouraging. I know it sounds crazy to say this, but the mild weather and sunshine gets really boring after a while! This year has been especially dry. It rains once, for half a day, then it won't rain again for a month... sometimes two. It's terrible!

[CodyW]

Originally Posted by aelise

That is encouraging. I know it sounds crazy to say this, but the mild weather and sunshine gets really boring after a while!!

I grew up in Phoenix. I can definitely relate to that statement.

Some years are wetter than others, as far as the monsoon goes. When I first moved to Flagstaff in 2010, it seemed like it rained almost every day from August to October, almost. I enjoyed it. Though this past monsoon season didn't seem to do much of anything. Same with our winter season, this year.

Generally, April to June is the driest part of the year in Arizona. Though it's not uncommon to get a late April or early May snow event. The weather has been painfully uneventful this year, so far.

[Fiddlehead]

Originally Posted by aelise

So it seems that Flagstaff has significantly more precipitation and weather events in general, than Los Angeles. That is encouraging. I know it sounds crazy to say this, but the mild weather and sunshine gets really boring after a while! This year has been especially dry. It rains once, for half a day, then it won't rain again for a month... sometimes two. It's terrible!

I grew up in Porterville (just north of Bakersfield), and I spent a couple years in LA/OC right out of high school. Hated it! I could not stand all the brown stagnant air and cloudless skies. I am a four season guy for sure. So, I don't think you are crazy. The biggest change moving to Flagstaff is IT WILL BE COLD! Don't kid yourself, it will be a transition if you have spent much time in LA, or anywhere in coastal California. I think I would enjoy living in Flagstaff, because I enjoy cold and snow, especially bright sunny days after a snow storm.

Up here in Oregon, we get the opposite. A bit too many days without sun or snow. Just grey, grey, grey.

Oh well. No place is perfect.

[aelise]

Fiddlehead I sympathize. I am originally from San Francisco where the weather is very similar to Oregon I think. I loved the weather in New Orleans when I lived there. The heat was horrible, don't get me wrong, but the storms were great. It would go from sunny to dumping rain in a matter of minutes. Thunderstorms are Moderator cut: snip to drive in but I do love them. Snow too. I am excited to live somewhere that has both snow AND thunderstorms, in moderation. I am actually okay with the cold and much prefer it to the heat.

I am excited about Flagstaff but a little nervous that it might feel too small. I guess we will have to wait and see, but at least the weather will be nice!

[Kimballette]

Originally Posted by aelise

I am excited about Flagstaff but a little nervous that it might feel too small.

Have you ever lived in a town of 61K? It might be quite an adjustment if you haven't.

[aelise]

I grew up in a town by San Francisco that has about 15k people. It was isolated by about 10 mins drive, rather than being absorbed into the sprawl like a lot of suburbs near the city. However, even though it was quite a bit smaller than Flagstaff, it was still not too far from major urban areas, so it will still be a change.

I enjoy cities but I find myself inconvenienced by them more than anything. Especially in LA. The traffic, the people, everything being so scattered and far away. Can't stand it. I rarely drive farther than a 5-mile radius from my house, so Flagstaff might suit me quite well!

[CodyW]

I find Flagstaff is the perfect distance from Phoenix to make it tolerable. A two hour drive and a decent day trip if you ever get bored!

Really, though - there's a lot going on in Flagstaff, considering that it is a small town. Granted, it usually involves the university crowd, but there's always some kind of event happening around town, and occasionally some good acts roll through.