Monsoon season starts today
Monday, June 15, 2009
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The word monsoons sounds pretty scary, but for those used to rain and thunderstorms, it shouldn't be.
A monsoon is a storm which can be either wind/dust storm of a large thunderstorm with high winds.
While the monsoon season is less than 1/4 of the calendar year, the Phoenix area gets over 1/3 of the annual rainfall these months.
Dust storms and high winds can cause damage, but the one to watch out for is flash flooding in the Phoenix Valley. Not all areas are prone to it, but the ground here is hard, not easily permeated with water.
Of course water will run to certain designated areas, but during some torrential rains, the water may be flowing on the street to quickly to drive through.
Truth is... I am a good ol' country boy from the South, and I miss the pitter patter of rain on my ceramic tiled roof . I do enjoy listening to the rain and thunder of the monsoon nights!
Here are some quick monsoon facts from about.com
More About Phoenix Monsoon
Meteorologists still track and report dewpoints and study monsoon weather patterns. Here are some technical monsoon facts for our area.
* The average starting date of the monsoon in Phoenix is July 7.
* The average ending date of the monsoon is September 13.
* The earliest start date for the monsoon was June 16, 1925.
* The latest start date for the monsoon was July 25, 1987.
* The average date of the first break in the monsoon is August 16.
* The average total number of monsoon days (where a monsoon day is considered one with an average dewpoint of 55 degrees or higher) is 56.
* The greatest number of monsoon days was 99, recorded in 1984.
* The fewest number of monsoon days was 27, recorded in 1962.
* The greatest number of consecutive monsoon days was 72, from June 25 through September 4, 1984. This was also the greatest number of consecutive days with dew points of 60 degrees or higher.
* In Phoenix, normal rainfall during July, August and September is 2.65 inches.
* The wettest monsoon occurred in 1984 when we had 9.38 inches of rain.
* The driest monsoon occurred in 1924 with only 0.35 inches.
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