Monsoon Scenes: Hidden Refuge

Canon EOS R5 Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS USM 1/50 sec, f/7.1, ISO 100 2 focal planes

Image by David Lennard

The Arizona monsoon is a complex weather process that brings moisture from the Gulf of California resulting in spectacular summer thunderstorms. Monsoon rains account for 35% to 45% of total precipitation in the desert Southwest.

Lower rainfall and higher temperatures have created ideal conditions to exacerbate Arizona's longstanding drought. Entering 2022, more than half of the state remains in severe drought status and an additional 10% is enduring extreme drought. (source: Arizona State University)

In July 2021, wildfires came to within 20 miles of my hometown of Sedona. In July 2022, they came to within a mile.