Monsoon is here!

Tuesday July 5 central Arizona was hit with a haboob that left many people in the orange.

In the Sonora Desert when the rain of the monsoon arrives it often has a prelude of a rolling clouds of dust.  This is a phenomenon that is found from the Middle East to Arizona, New Mexico and even Texas. When the thunderstorms hit the hot dry desert air, the wind sucks into it from every direction. Thus the tidal wave on land (or so it looks) from a distance.  This sandstorm can be up to 60 miles wide an as the air rushes into the storm it pulls up (sometimes in excess of 10,000 feet in elevation) and then collapses upon it’s self like a wave you would hang ten on. This collapsing air carries loose sand and dry ground up and pushes it into a sediment wall announcing the arrival of the thunderstorm. The winds then reverse and gust in front of the storm at speeds that can reach over 50 mph.  People who are lucky will see this headed their way, but for those on the roads, once you see the wall it is time to take steps towards safety (find a safe place to pull over, turn your lights off, and kill your break lights) so you don’t get hit. The visibility can span from miles to inches in only minutes. As with any storm the “sheets” can lead to thinking that it is not so bad. While a driver may be able to see a good clear distance one minute the next the bumper may be gone. At this point of the storm, rain is not often seen. If there is participation it is most likely virga (another phenomenon: when rain evaporates in the air) with dry climates storm. Followed by this dust storm (haboob) the cool air comes in and the rain falls. As the moisture heads for the ground it grabs dust and brings it down, mud storms or mud rain is the next surprise from this little storm.

Watching it approach it is amazing. It gives the feeling of watching an alien invasion movie first hand. The last minute before haboob arrives is the most surreal. Everything is quiet, then in only seconds everything is consumed with an orange glow. I can not compare it to the amber haze of a total eclipse or even the gray tan fog of the dust storms in Kuwait. It is as if  the sun has set upon my feet.