Chasing the Southwestern Monsoon

Arizona, encompassing 116,000 square miles of the Southwestern United States, is a place of unusual seasons and uncompromising beauty. Particularly for my stormchasing friends in the US and overseas, I have decided to address their questions to give an idea of what it is really like to "chase" the Southwestern Monsoon.

Stormchasing in Arizona is something I am actively engaged in, each summer, since 1997. Although I have chased storms in the Great Plains ("Tornado Alley") for five May/June seasons, my number one chase preference is the Southwestern Monsoon, due to the offerings of dramatic, visible lightning mixed with otherworldly terrain.

Most people think of "Monsoon" as a phenomenon of Southeast Asia. Here we'll talk about the Arizona portion of the North American Monsoon, and particularly, how to increase one's chances to achieve photography of Arizona Monsoon activity, which is part of the NAM. This activity flows into Arizona from Mexico and influences the deserts and high country.

I have been chasing this Monsoon for 12 years and since then have fallen in love with the whole experience. Here are my personal FAQs...hope they help! These are personal opinions/experiences only, and do come with my honest caution that Monsoon contains very dangerous weather, and although I do not recommend chasing it, I wrote this blog to satisfy the questions I receive each year. Please be careful, just because Arizona does not lie in Tornado Alley does not mean it is not rife with violent weather during Monsoon.

What is the North American Monsoon?
The NAM is a seasonal wind shift that influences the Southwestern and Western United States. In Arizona, the official Monsoon Season runs the calendar dates of June 15-Sept 30.

Within the Season, thunderstorm activity ranges. Some days there can be no storms, some days isolated cells, and other days large areas of violent, severe weather. The word “monsoon” comes from the Arabic, “mausim” which means “wind shift”. You can track the Monsoon at http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/twc/monsoon/monsoon_tracker.php.

What will I chase during Monsoon?
Lightning photography is a prized catch of the Arizona monsoon. If active storms are present, Arizona’s lightning spawns from high-based clouds permitting great views of the lightning structure over startlingly beautiful terrain. I say this though with a caution that Arizona’s lightning is extremely dangerous. The risk is quite real so be sure to be informed and remember, with lightning, there is zero margin for error. It does what it wants, completely regardless of who is chasing it. Never will you hear me say to push your luck with lightning, or to engage in dangerous activity such as standing outdoors. Staying back produces better photography anyway; as your lightning will have the context of a foreground. Shelter is recommended.

In Arizona, precipitation is not required for a storm to be a lightning-producer. Although Doppler radar helps, it is not an indicator of the presence of lightning because Doppler measures precipitation such as rain, snow and hail. Other weather phenomena of the Monsoon include microbursts, sandstorm (haboob), high winds, rain torrents, flash floods and very colorful sunsets. Tornadoes are rare (but cannot be ruled out entirely).

What is the storm structure like?
Often seen are highly localized "pulse" convective storm towers possibly assisted by orographic features such as mountains and sharp terrain. These help lift the air, aiding in storm development. Cloud bases are relatively high. Read the sky by searching for cotton ball/cauliflour appearances. Promising updraft towers will not appear soft, frayed or mushy. Hard, knuckle-like cloud edges indicate strength. Not present are stratiform rains such as Seattle drizzle, or the rotating supercells of the Great Plains.

All convective development, even benign-looking cumuli (puffy clouds) with no rain, should be considered possibly electrified. Keep in mind as well, that daylight can mask a close proximity of lightning.

What time of day will I chase and for how long?
For myself, I begin my chases around sunset and wrap things up around 1am-2am. Lightning photography is best achieved at night. Northern Arizona (plateau) monsoon activity is often daytime occurring, whereas more nighttime lightning photography chances seem to occur in the desert. This has been my experience, but there are certainly exceptions.

How does the precipitation fall?
The Monsoon’s precipitation falls from localized raincores in an isolated or scattered fashion and can be extremely heavy. When strong storms are present, expect the threat of street and desert flash flooding. Hail can be quarter sized.

What are some signs that it will be a good/bad chase day?
The Monsoon flow comes primarily from Old Mexico, from the south. Winds from the southeast indicate a promising monsoon flow. West winds coming from the California deserts indicate drying and will push the storms to the east. A promising sign on a surface chart is the High (H) sitting over the Four Corners (junction of AZ/New Mex/Colo/UT). The clockwise rotation of the H can bring the flow in from the southeast. This is one desirable synoptic (large scale) condition. Higher dewpoints are favorable of course.

What are my odds?
Monsoon chasing is for the patient and persistent. This type of chasing can bring frustrations if someone can only stay for a long weekend or a couple of days. If this is the case, the expedition will have to chase very aggressively to harvest good photos from the Monsoon. Driving long distances across Arizona or New Mexico might be needed the shorter the time spent here. Hopes would be that visiting chasers would not hit a “break”. If lucky, a visitor will hit the Monsoon pattern during one of the “burst” cycles, when violent severe weather is active and chasers need not travel far.

Some feel that to improve one’s storm-sighting odds, chasing at the onset or at the close of the season is favorable. I can understand that. The second week of July can be more active, as well as can be Labor Day weekend. For myself, over 12 years of chasing monsoon, I have found that Labor Day weekend and the first week of September has given me results. In August, the “burst and break” pattern can be more pronounced, even a week can go by without a storm. It is important to understand the fickle nature of the Monsoon.

Odds can also be increased by staying east and southeast in the State of Arizona where the Monsoon flow is more generous. Recommended as well are more mountainous areas that are helped by elevation lift, rather than in the western deserts where it is hot and dry. (I do not chase Yuma/Quartzsite/Parker/Blythe for example, but rather, see my favored list below).

Arizona is only partially desert, although people often think it is all desert because they fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The State contains 6 life zones, ranging from Lower Sonoran desert to alpine. Alpine/Canadian or Hudsonian high country zones experience more active weather, as does the southeast corner of the State.

What is a “haboob” and how can I see one?
The word “haboob” comes from the Arabic “habb” meaning “wind”. In the Arizona Desert, a haboob is a sand wall, the same type that is seen in the Sahara, 2-3,000 ft high, rolling across the desert. They are spectacular to see but can cause zero visibility while driving, and sand in one's mouth and nose. They form when a thunderstorm dies over desert terrain, fanning up a sand wall in all directions. A haboob is a prize for a chaser, due to the incredible appearance. Wide angle lenses are recommended. Haboob occurs in the Phoenix metro area a few times per summer. A haboob is a sign of thunderstorm activity and considered promising for a night of chasing.

What about desert wildlife?
Arizona is home to a wide range of desert and mountain plants and animals.

Noted animals include javalina (peccary/like pig), bobcat, coyote, mountain lion, black bear, desert bighorn sheep, deer, elk, pronghorn and coatimundi. Common birds are quail, roadrunner, heron, flicker, gila woodpecker, red cardinal, cactus wren and of course hummingbirds and eagles & hawks, vultures and large owls. The Chiricahua alone is home to 300 different species of bird. Arizona attracts many birders. Reptiles that may be seen include lizards (such as Gila Monster), Western Diamondback, Mojave and Blacktail rattlesnakes, king snakes, banded gecko, just for starters.

Insects are hardy including tarantula, scorpions, beetles such as cactus longhorn and palo verde, tarantula hawk wasp, Africanized bees, carpenter bees, wind scorpion, some mighty ants and beautiful butterflies such as Tiger Swallowtail, Pipevine Swallowtail and Queen. Mosquitoes can also be experienced esp at dusk.

Large toads can also come out during Monsoon.

Scorpion tip: Don’t let your fear run away with you. I certainly wouldn't touch one, but scorpions do not go around looking for humans to sting. What they would like to sting is their next meal. I would be nervous only if I was a cricket or grasshopper. As a human, I check my shoes and I don’t walk around yards, patios and pools barefoot. Keep car doors closed while engaged in photography, and don’t leave clothes or towel on the motel room floor. A scorpion is a shadow-chaser, they love the little nooks and crannies in cool, dark places.

How hot does it get?
Desert heat during Monsoon can be extreme. One-teens F can happen quite easily in the Sonoran Desert areas. Make sure to bring plenty (overcompensate) of water in the vehicle and car in good repair. It is worth looking up on a medical website how to avoid dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Also, I find that bananas, dates, and electrolyte/mineral powder from the health food store are of benefit. The high country (forests) offers relief. Cacti and plants do not contain the water that can support humans. BRING all water, more than enough with you, and do not ask that others carry your water for you. I also keep purification tablets, and have had to use them, to save a lady from dehydration in the desert, when she ran out of water.

What are some hazards?
Aside from the natural dangers of lightning, flash floods (I will not cross), watch for shaky powerlines (they do come down), blowing debris such as large tumbleweeds or forest debris (Mogollon Rim & Flagstaff) and also be aware of people doing various things in the desert, drinking, shooting, etc. There is still a Wild West factor out here. Animals are also a driving hazard, particularly elk in the high country and roaming livestock on the rangeland.

What does Arizona look like?
Arizona is a highly mountainous state containing vast wide open spaces and extreme, rugged, mountainous terrain. Main features include the Colorado Plateau, canyon country, the Mogollon Rim (a 200-mile long escarpment that runs east-west with 1-2,000 foot dropoffs), basin & range, mesas, Madrean sky islands, the Colorado River, and more. The state contains 6 life zones, from desert to alpine. Terrain presents a huge variety, and even the deserts are teeming with life that is finely-tuned for survival.

What are the Monsoon chaser’s hot spots?
There are many. Here are some favorites of mine:
Around the Mazatzal Mountain range including Four Peaks
The Superstition Mountains
The Mogollon Rim – Payson to Show Low
Canyon/mining country along highway 60 to Globe
Safford and the Mt. Graham area
Southeast Arizona: Willcox, Benson, Tombstone area (more generous monsoon flow)
The Central Deserts
The I-17 to Flagstaff corridor
Prescott, Sedona
Wickenburg
To name a few.

What camera settings do you use?
I use slide films with analog cameras. 50-100 ISO (slow, lightning is too bright for sensitive, fast film), a heavy wind-shake resistant Bogen tripod, cable release, I also put distance between me and storm to give my lightning an ample foreground and some scale, F-stop is 4-5.6, and a B setting for timed exposure, with 50-135 focal length lens, open from 1-20 sec each frame (after 20-30 sec reciprocity law failure can take over, giving the picture that "alien green" sky appearance as the color destabilizes. I advance to fresh frames, even if lightning is not captured. This does burn film and create cost, but for me it is necessary. I also like to bracket the exposure (taking 3-4 of the same images at varying f-stops, to be relatively sure that one comes out right). Give or take, this is what works for me. Also, I do order my filmstrips uncut/unmounted at the lab, so they are not mis-cut or mismounted when the machine cannot see my frame edges, due to having shot mostly night work. Have something that works for you? Share with me! PS, I do this from shelter such as building or vehicle. Not foolproof safe, but I do not stand out in the open in lightning storms unless the storm is far far away. Even then, I have seen lightning shoot out horizontally 10 miles from the parent cloud, especially when it is attracted to something such as a cell phone tower or cactus. Tripods are pointed metal objects which lightning would favor. Stormchasers have their stories about tripods causing a near strike, and my fishing friends have told me similar stories about their fishing poles on the summer lakes. Something to keep in mind. Lightning calls all the shots in what it does, we can just guard our safety. By the way, the two times (in my novice days in the late 90s) when I got startled by lightning was when I was photographing something else (animal and sunset), and took eyes off the storm. Keep eyes on the storm structure at all times, even if it isn't doing anything that moment.

Can I chase the Plateau and Grand Canyon?
Daytime storms are more common up on the Plateau. Under the right synoptic conditions there may be storms at night. Check the weather page for Bellemont AZ (Flagstaff).
www.wrh.noaa.gov/fgz

Is chasing the Arizona/Mexico borderlands safe?
I do not recommend chasing in and around the Arizona/Mexico border at this time. I also discourage entering the Tohono O’odham Nation to chase, out of respect for their efforts to curb illegal border activity that is currently impacting their Nation because of their close proximity to the border. Check with the US Dept of Interior’s website for details. www.doi.gov/initiatives/borderlands.html. On the upside, Arizona contains 116,000 square miles. There is no need to chase the borderlands anyway.

On off days, what could I go see?
The list is long, but includes:
Sedona – the most photographed rock cliffs in the world, with town main street as well
The Grand Canyon – the Seventh Wonder – national park contains 1 million acres
Monument Valley – the big cliffs of the Western movies
Downtown Flagstaff and Lowell Observatory – alpine, outdoors, fun with a Colorado feel. Cooler temperatures.
The Mogollon Rim country – largest Ponderosa pine forest in the world, on the cliff’s edge. Cooler temperatures.
Pinetop/Lakeside – mountain towns were Phoenicians go to escape the summer heat
Ghost towns such as Jerome – a cliffside ghost town up a curvy grade.
Tombstone/Bisbee…sites of the Old West
Superstition Mountain/Lost Dutchman State Park – 3,000 ft cliff face with ghost town beneath. Hot weather.
For urbanites: North Scottsdale (fine shopping/dining/resorts)
Tempe Marketplace, Tempe with a college town vibe/next to ASU. Nightlife.
Mt. Lemmon (Tucson) – incredible views from a Madrean sky island; all 6 life zones.
Arizona/Sonoran Desert Museum (Tucson – this is an outdoor zoo so best in winter)
Heard Indian Museum Phoenix (spectacular and indoor)
Mission San Xavier, a famous Spanish mission, and Tubac/Tumacacori.
The list goes on!

What is a “sky island”?
“Sky islands” are mountains that rise dramatically from the desert floor. Most contain all 6 life zones from Lower Sonoran Desert, Upper Sonoran, Transition (oak/pinon) to Canadian/Hudsonian/Alpine (fir, silvertip, aspen at treeline). Madrean Sky Islands protrude, sometimes to 11,000 ft elevation, and initiate mountain storms. Examples: Mt. Lemmon, Mt. Graham.

Where can I talk to desert dwellers?
www.desertusa.com

How old is a Giant Saguaro?
This cactus, an icon of the Southwest, can be up to 200 years old and up to 40 feet tall.

What makes the desert smell like “rain”?
The plant called creosote bush or greasewood (same plant), reacts to humidity and causes the pronounced desert rain aroma.

Myths?
Cacti do not contain potable water!!! Don’t believe the old westerns. Bring water with you as a main priority…more than enough for everybody.

Prickly, spiny Jumping Cholla cacti do not “jump” at people. They cling most effectively as their cactus spines are purposely reverse-barbed for hitchhiking skill. But they do not jump. Carry a small pocket comb if you have to fling one off your shoe.

What about flash floods?
A flash flood occurs when rain cannot absorb into the desert soil and therefore follows the corridors of arroyos (washes) or low spots. Flash floods can contain substantial solid material such as sand, logs, cactus, snakes, barbed wire ranch fence, so it is best not to cross at all. Road can be washed out underneath as well. The slogan out here is “Turn around…don’t drown!” and it really is true. Please Google “Arizona Stupid Motorist’s Law”. I will not cross a flash flood. It also does not have to be raining overhead for a flash flood to be happening.

Attire?
I find that jeans and boots are the most practical Sonoran wear. Jeans help protect me from cactus and the good solid boots from cholla and insects. Although boots are no guarantee against snakes, they would fare better than flip-flops!
Ball caps, Stetsons, safari-hats or sunhats are very helpful. Sunglasses should offer good coverage, nice and dark. Sunscreen and mosquito repellent are also needed. Light-colored earth and desert colors of clothing are best. Black and red can attract insects. Avoid cologne and scented products in the desert, they can attract pests.

Where should I stay?
If you are going stay put in a city such as Scottsdale or Tucson, by all means, check on the off-season summer deals at the upscale resorts June-Sept. High country camping will give more favorable temperatures, however plan for the chance of summer thunderstorms. Check if campfires are allowed. If you would like to move about, there are plenty of motel chains especially along I-40 and I-10.

General tips?
-Look down at your feet when walking in the desert, not at the scenery around. Spectacular scenery takes breath away but watching one’s footing is advised.
-Arizona lightning is particularly wild and unpredictable, taking the form of highly branched strikes. www.lightninglady.com/photos/StromSeptemberMoon.jpg is an example.
-Keep car doors closed while photographing in the desert especially if dome light is on, which can attract potential stowaway critters such as beetles and moths. A car-sweep critter-check is a good idea before getting back on the road.
-When parked doing photography, point your car so that you have an escape route, in case you have to get out of an area quickly (this might be due to people drinking/shooting in the desert, other activities, etc.)
-Please do not harm rock art or collect pottery shards or artifacts!
-Giant Saguaro cacti are under Federal protection from being disturbed or defaced.
-If you’re interested, scorpions fluoresce under blacklight. If you have a blacklight you might see one glow.
-If you shoot film, at the lab, order your night work uncut/unmounted so that your whole roll doesn’t risk being cut incorrectly.
-This is incredible star country. The star trail exposure (leaving camera open for hours) is fun to do in the Southwest.
-Don’t fear the critters too much. If you don’t touch him, he can’t bite you :) Peek into your shoes in the morning and shake out your camping clothes.
-Distances are vast. Keep the gas tank full. When you hear a local say "down the road", he could be talking about 10-50 miles!
-Inquire about wilderness passes, such as the Tonto Pass (Tonto National Forest) and the Red Rock pass (Sedona). These are available at convenience stores and other vendors where the decal is displayed. Many of the ticket machines at local wilderness area gates have been removed in favor of the pass system. Information
www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/tp/index.shtml
www.redrockcountry.org
Fee areas do exist within the county, state and national park system. Sometimes the system is a gate fee (guard station or honesty box) sometimes it is a pass purchased at a local outlet.

What are some good services?
Oufitters: For the East Valley, there is a Bass Pro/Outdoor World in Mesa, in the West Valley there is a Cabela’s in Glendale AZ, and an REI (my favorite) in Tempe, at Priest and Southern.
Photography supplies and film processing: Tempe Camera (.com)
Souvenirs & gifts: I prefer Bischoff’s store in Old Town Scottsdale. It is a lot of fun.
News: Azcentral.com

Local-speak: Want to sound like a local?
Mogollon Rim (Moe-gee-on Rim or Muh-gee-on Rim)
Saguaro (Suh-wahr-oh)
Cholla (Choyah)
Ocotillo (Ock-o-tee-yo)
Gila (hee-lah)
Mazatzal (Mad-as-Al… just like being as mad as a guy named Al)
Chiricahua (Cheer-ik-ah-wah)
Tempe (Tem-pee, with slight accent on the pe, not the Tem).
Usage of word “monsoon”:
Incorrect: “There will be monsoons tonight”
Correct: “There will be monsoon storms tonight”
Monsoon denotes the season, not the individual storm.

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Enjoy your Arizona adventure.