What desert? Tucson has chance to set record for wettest monsoon season
So far in the 2021 monsoon season, which is measured from June 15 to Sept. 30, Tucson has netted 12.48 inches of rain, which is their 3rd-wettest on record.
Interesting picture of lightning coming out the top of a storm and down the side Tucson, Arizona.
(Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Normally you don't think of rain making news in the desert but this summer monsoon season has a chance for the record books.
So far in the 2021 monsoon season, which is measured from June 15 to Sept. 30, Tucson has netted 12.48 inches of rain, which is their 3rd-wettest on record looking back to 1895!
Chart showing Top 10 Wettest and Driest monsoon seasons in Tucson, Arizona.
(National Weather Service Tucson)
They're not too far off from their all-time record of 13.84 inches set in 1964. A normal monsoon season has 5.69 inches of rain.
And there is a chance they could break the record. Forecasts show potential for monsoon thunderstorms this weekend, and netting the 1.37 inches needed to set the record is not out of reach.
Well, it looks like this weekend is starting to look busy. Increasing thunderstorm chances Saturday afternoon into Sunday for SE AZ. #azwx #fingerscrossed pic.twitter.com/ohHEfUVLiw
— NWS Tucson (@NWSTucson) September 24, 2021
It's also quite the turnaround from last summer's monsoon season that only brought 1.62 inches of rainfall - their second driest on record.
The North American monsoon is caused by both the Gulf of California and the Gulf of Mexico blowing warm, moist air towards to southwestern portion of the United States. It brings summertime rainfall to Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and southern parts of Utah and California.