Mountain Monsoon

One of the things I really love about the desert is the monsoons. The cumulonimbus clouds start gathering in the early afternoon and the storms usually hit at night with wonderful lightning shows. I found out today that monsoons occur in the mountains, too. There was no lightning show, but the thunder was fantastic. There was even some hail, which we rarely get in the Phoenix. The clouds started gathering mid-morning and the storm hit at about 3:00 this afternoon.

My desert kids decided they wanted to feel the rain, so out they went. You'll notice that only 2 of the 3 are in the picture. Michael knows to stay out of the rain!

Phoenix averages just over 7 inches of rain a year, while Flagstaff averages just over 22 inches a year (of course, as we midwesterners all know, 10 inches of snow equals about 1 inch of rain). Anyway, I don't think Annie will soon forget what it feels like to be out in the rain.

The air feels fresh and clear now and, maybe, I'll be able to see stars tonight.