Monsoons - Where to Find the Nastiest & Most Violent (Tucson: 2014, rent)

[Ghostrider16]

I love extreme weather, especially when it involves thunder, lightning, high winds, and heavy rain.


I'm looking for opinions, hopefully from personal experience, on where you have found the most activity I've described and what month I'm most likely to find it.


I know Prescott has had some good ones since I used to go to Frontier Days every year, but I'm open to wherever in Arizona (or New Mexico, since I suspect they have good ones too) might be the best spot.


I'm hoping to narrow down a spot so I can rent a house for a few days and enjoy the show.


Thanks in advance for any feedback!

[Hschlick84]

We have our fair share of monsoon storms in Prescott, most of it in July and August. However, if you go east of the continental divide, you'll get quite a bit of afternoon thunderstorms, hail and tornadoes for that matter.

The Front Range east of the Rockies has unpredictable weather from Cheyenne to Albuquerque.

[teddyearp]

The Mogollon rim area east of Payson and all the way to the New Mexico line, the further east sometimes the better; but it's weather, hard to predict. I've been in a couple of real downpours/gully washer hail storms around Tucson as well.

[keninaz]

We have lived all over AZ since 1967/8 and then back in 1993 to live permanently.
The heavier storms that we have experienced were in SE Cochise County near Sierra Vista over the years. We have lived in the Sierra Vista/Hereford area. We have also lived in Tucson, Safford and now in the Prescott/Prescott Valley areas.
I was rather surprised when we moved up to the Prescott area that the storms were not more severe than they are. SE AZ made these storms over the last 10 years or so seem calm.
And just a note, some of the best displays we have seen of lightning/storms was while touring the Grand Canyon South Rim. But be very careful along the rim, lots of strikes!

[k2rider]

The best single lightning show I ever experienced was driving on the I-40 East of Flagstaff several years ago. The storm was actually to the south but it was quite a show. That being said, Durango is usually good for a daily 30-45 minutes of quality storms in July.

[Hschlick84]

This will give you a good idea where to find most of the nasty weather according to the NWS, especially during the winter and summer months. As you see, the continental divide plays a major role on temperature fluctuations. When temperatures aren't as stable, the weather changes often.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features...table-weather/

[YetiMan]

Biggest display of thunder and lightning that we have seen since being in Az. was 2 summers ago while driving back to Pinetop from the Petrified Forest. Clouds had been building all day, it was just getting dark when the lightning cut loose it was so bright I swear you could see all the way to Albuquerque! Amazing!

[Ghostrider16]

Thanks to all for the responses.


I've got some good destinations to consider.

[tijlover]

After living in Las Vegas for 22 years, and experiencing my first summer in Tucson, I now know what a true monsoon season is all about. I never once saw the breathtaking sheets of rain that Tucson can create. I now am well-prepared for my 2nd monsoon season.

[Code Stemi]

Flagstaff seems to get quite a bit of intense thunderstorm activity, of the populated areas in AZ. Almost daily in the summertime. I had a friend who lived there describe the storms as very intense. And then the ponderosa pine scents mixed with rain are amazing.