Arizona's volatile monsoon is upon us(!!!)

So yesterday was the "official" start of the monsoon season -- yay! I love the monsoons!!! I especially love the first monsoon when everyone in the neighborhood is out playing in the rain like children.

Arizona's volatile monsoon is upon us

The Arizona monsoon can be the most exciting time of year for weather watchers. The storms can be visually spectacular, but they can also be dangerous.

But us desert rats already know that, eh? Hubby and I are old school -- we still wait for the dew point to get into the mid 50s before we call it monsoon season. I did see clouds building yesterday to the north and east, and I've heard a couple cicadas recently, so it's definitely on its way. This week will be quite the scorcher! Already over 90 degrees and it's just 8:00 am and it will only get worse from here, 112 today and 114 for Thursday.

Any favorite monsoon stories? Any tips for not melting in the heat? Any whining, moaning and complaining you want to vent? Here ya go! Do it here!!!

I'll start. Last year we were complaining that the monsoons hadn't been what they used to be... less frequent and less severe. Some were just boring raindrops. Then we got hit by a microburst! For 30 seconds, the winds blew around everything that wasn't nailed down. We had neighbors' lawn chairs and roof shingles and even toys from the playground up the street in our yard afterwards. Knocked the tallest branches off our olive tree in back and the desert willow in front. We were lucky. The houses on either side of us have taller roofs than ours, so we were protected from the worst of it. Every other house in the neighborhood had roof damage. My daughter-in-law as working at the time, and said she saw a lemon tree blow through the parking lot -- roots intact! Around the corner from us, a palm tree had toppled onto a car. By the time the fire department came, neighbors had already gotten ropes and trucks and pulled the tree off and were already cutting it up.

The funniest part? The next day a couple reporters came thru the neighborhood looking for damages and were disappointed to find that everyone had already cleaned up, with nice piles of debris and trees and whatnot stacked neatly by the curb... what did she expect? Such is life in the desert!

Last year when I-10 was a lake.

Or even this year when the weather didn't bother to look at the calender and started the rains earlier this month.

And I believe it was back in the late 80's when it rained for 3 days straight? Remember that one?

I've been in Arizona most of my adult life and have been through the wettest of the wet and driest of the dry. I live up at 5200 feet now but still work down here and I can tell you one thing ....anything over 110 doesn't matter. It's an oven at that point.

And BTW, I'm starting to donate 1 case of water a day to CASS. It's brutal out there for the homeless right now.

originally posted by: DeepImpactX
Last year when I-10 was a lake.

Oh yes! Hubby was there... drove through it right before they shut it down. He has a huge one-ton work truck. That's the only thing that got him through it. His job was out on the west side, got shut down for flooding, and it took him a couple hours to get back to his shop in downtown Phoenix. Whew! That was something!

Or even this year when the weather didn't bother to look at the calender and started the rains earlier this month.

That was a surprise -- but kinda nice though!

And I believe it was back in the late 80's when it rained for 3 days straight? Remember that one?

I do indeed remember that one! That was when I met the wolf spider... in the shower!!! After this last rain, we met the crab spider.

....anything over 110 doesn't matter. It's an oven at that point.

Soooo true. Even during the "dry heat"... but during monsoon season... ugh!

And BTW, I'm starting to donate 1 case of water a day to CASS. It's brutal out there for the homeless right now.

Bless your heart! I do the same for the community garden/food bank up the street. And I always carry a case of water in the car to hand out when I'm out and about.

a reply to: Boadicea

I've been in AZ for two years now. The storm we had last year was something... The one where all the flooding was on TV...one thing that has surprised me is the mosquito's. Somehow, I thought they would not be an issue. Damn was I wrong. I have seen the biggest mutant looking mosquitoes I have ever seen here in Phoenix. I have bought a home since then, with a pool. And now I have chiggers, or no seeums, or whatever you want to call them. And fire ants... The clouds yesterday evening looked like a roll laying across the east valley. Looked pretty cool. I am by the metro center mall, but work in Tempe. Definitely looking forward to the rain!

originally posted by: darkwingduck
a reply to: Boadicea

I've been in AZ for two years now. The storm we had last year was something... The one where all the flooding was on TV...

I remember... the one on the north side? That was quite the doozy! Since you're still somewhat a newbie, let me caution you to stay away from washes!!! We do have the Stupid Motorist law, but I'm more worried about your person -- stay safe! And in Tempe, stay far far away from McClintock between Broadway and Apache during rain

...one thing that has surprised me is the mosquito's. Somehow, I thought they would not be an issue. Damn was I wrong. I have seen the biggest mutant looking mosquitoes I have ever seen here in Phoenix. I have bought a home since then, with a pool. And now I have chiggers, or no seeums, or whatever you want to call them. And fire ants...

Yeah, those fire ants are something, aren't they? A paste of baking soda and water will take away the sting... and Amdro bait traps will kill the colony -- that's the best we've found anyway. My sympathies for the mosquitoes. They don't like me, but they were eating hubby and daughter-in-law alive Sunday night. I think the late spring rains this year have made it even worse than usual.

a reply to: darkwingduck

The fire ants are the worst IMO.

a reply to: Boadicea
Thanks for the advice. I lived in Tucson for a few months before I found my job and moved here. The stupid motorist law is really needed there. The washes there are crazy from what I have seen. I lived in Laveen before I bought my house, and after that storm last year, it was under water for like a week!

originally posted by: darkwingduck

I lived in Tucson for a few months before I found my job and moved here. The stupid motorist law is really needed there. The washes there are crazy from what I have seen.

My hubby agrees! He would also say the drivers are crazy too

Heck with the rain, I'm waiting for the first haboob here in the East valley. I love watching the wall of death get closer and closer then BAM! Fun!

originally posted by: EKron
Heck with the rain, I'm waiting for the first haboob here in the East valley. I love watching the wall of death get closer and closer then BAM! Fun!

lol! Yes!!!

I caught one coming from the east last summer. Took four pics to get it all from north to south! And it was less than 15 minutes from when I first caught it on the horizon until it hit. That surprised me -- but I was ready! We've certainly been getting more and more of them the last couple years and I don't like that so much. Too much dirt to clean up afterwards -- the vehicles, the outside water bowls, the windows, my hair -- yuk!

originally posted by: EKron
Heck with the rain, I'm waiting for the first haboob here in the East valley. I love watching the wall of death get closer and closer then BAM! Fun!

Did you love it??? I hope so!

Snuck right up on me... I didn't get the alert!!! I did have time to warn my bro on the west side that it was coming.