Where is all the rain you may ask? Try the desert. An upper level ridge has continued to keep us baking while the “ring of fire” (storms on the outer edge of the upper level ridge has continued to stay in the west and upper Midwest. That favorable flow has allowed the annually Arizona Monsoon season to begin (also known as Southwest Monsoon, or Mexican Monsoon) a couple weeks early. A monsoon is defined as a seasonal shift in the average wind direction. During the Arizona Monsoon converging winds draw moisture from both Baja California and the Gulf of Mexico into the desert southwest. This moisture along with the strong daytime heating often leads to afternoon and evening thunderstorms.
This process has begun and acording to climate experts this may be a very strong monsoon season across the southwest including above normal rainfall which often leads to flash flooding. If this pattern does continue it may mean more heat and dry weather over the next couple of months for us here at home. This is assuming the upper level ridge continues to hold in place. For more information on the Arizona Monsoon you can click on the link below:
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/twc/monsoon/2009monsoon_outlook.php
Below are today’s satellite images showing the monsoon flow.
Ross Ellet
