Utah and Arizona Monsoon travel warning

[UncleTim]

Hey Guys:

It looks very much like the monsoon season, which usually starts about now, has already started and is currently raging.

I have been getting reports from friends down there that it has been going full force for weeks. The Zion N.P. parking lot flooding is a part of this.

In the short term, it is expected to keep going all week in many parts. But this event has been known to last deep into August and the pictures coming out of AZ this week are staggering. It happens regularly but this year seems particularly rainy.

So just be aware this is going on and check locally if you are concerned.

Here are some Google results. https://news.google.com/search?for=a...S&ceid=US%3Aen

[wackyburggeezer]

Yep! The monsoon season is here. Temps hovering around 100f and relative humidity ~50%

Recommend using NOAA radar to show the 'big picture' several times each day. However, there's a HUGE area including SE Utah, NE Arizona, NW New Mexico, and SW Colorado which has no radar coverage. In those areas, there's absolutely NO coverage.

If you're travelling in the area, be safe, and stray out of narrow canyons while hiking, and NEVER cross a flooded streambed.

Here, we've only had 0.30" and that was on July 4.

Stay safe

[azjack]

Nancy has been driving her little Fiat convert every time we go somewhere locally because she wants to, I would rather she does and she also gets better mileage, plus parking is easier. Today we'll take the RAM and I'll have to drive because of possible thunderstorm. Finally we are having what we consider normal July weather. Yea!!
AZjack

[diannelgraham]

Originally Posted by wackyburggeezer

Yep! The monsoon season is here. Temps hovering around 100f and relative humidity ~50%

Recommend using NOAA radar to show the 'big picture' several times each day. However, there's a HUGE area including SE Utah, NE Arizona, NW New Mexico, and SW Colorado which has no radar coverage. In those areas, there's absolutely NO coverage.

If you're travelling in the area, be safe, and stray out of narrow canyons while hiking, and NEVER cross a flooded streambed.

Here, we've only had 0.30" and that was on July 4.

Stay safe

You guys really need the rain, was really dry when I was there last winter.

[wackyburggeezer]

You Folks could use some monsoon rain on the East side of the Cascades!

In September 2015 we received 4+ inches of rain in just one hour. I learned some interesting things afterwards. Fifth-wheels can float when there's enough water, Backyard storage sheds floated onto the tracks will cause the trains to stop running, and some people (not escape owners) exhibit very little sense when it rains in the desert.

[Doug2000]

I recently watched the YouTube video by Long Long Honeymoon. It was about extreme weather. They talked about the importance of having a weather radio. We live here in southern Ontario near between Detroit and Toronto. It's really boring. We never get anything exciting. We don't have earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, a lot of snow, no drought. We did have a tornado north of London a few days ago, but the last one was about 1995. I don't remember the last time we had hail.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Doug2000

We live here in southern Ontario near between Detroit and Toronto. It's really boring.

You could move to Barrie.

[UncleTim]

Another video example of how bad the monsoon is this year.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...s-video-report

[wackyburggeezer]

We have a weather alternate to the 'Monsoon' and it's called 'The Nonsoon'. In a normal year, Arizona gets half of the annual precipitation in the Winter, and half in the Summer.
As far as people being rescued from flooded arroyos, well, if its been dry so long that you don't remember when it had water in it last, is it THAT IMPORTANT to cross right now while the flooding is going on?

Tim, when I see you, remind me to tell you about being in Havasupai when Havasu Creek flashed, and then, at Toroweap when Havasu flashed and sent a commercial raft downriver w/o customers.

[Dcboyd]

We have had 20” in the last month. Hopefully it is gone for a while.