Phoenix Arizona Waterfront Homes
The best blog for waterfront and lakefront homes and communities for the Phoenix Arizona area
Arizona consistently ranks high for states that receive many new residents relocating from other states. I relocated almost 25 years ago and suddenly finding myself in one of the largest metropolitan cities in the US, There was a lot to get use to. Here are some things that those moving to Phoenix should know.
The beginning of July, the monsoon made its entrance. The monsoon brings with it high winds, dust and down pours which can result in flash flooding. When I first arrived in Arizona, I asked why a summer rain storm is called a monsoon storm. The answer I received was that the Arizona monsoon season begins when there are 3 consecutive days of an average dewpoint of 55 degrees or higher. On average this occurred on July 7th. Was this too hard to keep track of? Apparently so because in 2008 the National Weather Service decided to make it simpler and set firm dates for the beginning and end of the Arizona monsoon season. Since 2008, June 15th is the first day of the monsoon, and September 30th is the last day of this season when the weather can get really intense. During July-August-September the average rainfall is 2.65 inches. Click to learn more. Continue reading “The Monsoon Season in Phoenix”
Or you can wait for a Phoenix Monsoon storm to find out!The recent string of Monsoon storms has demonstrated the power of mother nature and the destructive effects of high winds that accompany those storms. The result of the Monsoon storm that came through Phoenix on the last day of August left over 55,000 residents without power, closed highways, and snapped power lines. Over an inch of rain fell in some parts of the valley. Rain in Phoenix is always welcome, but this came at a price. A common site in many valley neighborhoods was fallen trees. If one of these trees falls on a wall, who is responsible to repair the wall?
Continue reading “Whose wall is it anyway? Every Phoenix homeowner should know.”
Mention the word “monsoon” to a Phoenix resident, and memories of heavy localized rain, wind gusts, power outages, flash floods and dust storms quickly come to mind. While most residents primarily think of a thunder storm, the monsoon season is more tied to wind shift rather than precipitation. The term “monsoon” comes from the Arabic “mausim” which means “season” or “wind shift.” During the summer wind shift which brings increased moisture and low pressure in the valley, you have essential ingredients of the monsoon season.
Summer Haboob strikes on July 5thIt had its origin in Tucson then progressed northward to Phoenix. The “haboob” arrived in Phoenix late afternoon with winds in excess of 50 mph and a vertical height of 5,000 to 6,000 ft. The picture to the left was taken at the National Weather Service Phoenix office. The storm even shut down Phoenix SkyHarbor Airport for 45 minutes with visibility near zero. While this haboob was one of the largest in history, Phoenix averages about 3 per year during June through September.
It is almost pointless to talk to someone in July when the temperature is 110 degrees about what happens in Phoenix when it rains. You want to point out how planned communities have drainage plans and retention basins, etc. The situation in the summer may be that no precipitation has been seen for months, so they wonder why you’re even bringing it up. Well, the last couple of day we’ve been drenched and now those plans and preparation are very much needed and appreciated. Meteorologists are even saying that we may see as much rainfall in this 5 day period as we saw all of last year! Yesterday there was even a tornado warning, and many roads have been closed because of flooding. The picture above is not a lake water feature for a subdivision. It may be for the time being, but actually it is a retention basin with grass in the community common area that accumualtes the runoff from storms such as the one we are having that has dumped over 3″ inches of rain in a 24 hour period in some parts of they valley.
Continue reading “When It Does Rain in Phoenix It Can Rain!”