Summer Sights, Sounds & Smells
If you’ve just arrived in the Sonoran Desert, you came at a very exciting time! Summer here brings with it a host of fascinating sights, sounds and smells that delight long-time residents and intrigue newcomers. Here are just a few of nature’s wonders that are yours to enjoy this season:
Monsoon Madness: Keep your eyes to the sky in the afternoon and you’re likely to see one of the most impressive desert sights – massive cumulus clouds boiling up over the nearby mountains. Summer in the Sonoran Desert means the onset of Arizona’s monsoon season, a seasonal shift in the weather pattern that pulls up moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and generates short-lived, intense thunderstorms. A hearty monsoon-driven thunderstorm can lower the air temperature by up to 20 degrees and can drop more than an inch of rain in a very short time.
Towering Haboobs: Dust storms, also called haboobs, often precede desert thunderstorms. Heavy winds blowing over fields and the open desert can generate enormous clouds of dust. The average wind speed of a haboob is more than 30 miles per hour and the wall of dust can reach 3,000 feet in height. Though they only last a few minutes, dust storms can quickly reduce visibility, which is particularly hazardous if you are driving (click here for dust storm safety tips).
The Buzz: Head outside anytime from about mid-June through August and you’re likely to hear one of the desert’s signature sounds – a loud, insistent buzzing – coming from nearby trees or shrubs. This distinctive melody is the mating call of the male cicada. Although they’re easy to hear, cicadas are tough to spot since they stop singing when you approach their perch.
Fragrant Creosote: If you’re lucky enough to be in Scottsdale and near the desert on one of our rare rainy days, step outside when the rain stops and take a deep sniff. The delightful fresh fragrance in the air is emitted by creosote bushes when their leaves get wet.
So, don’t wait . . . get out and explore the Sonoran Desert this summer and see what other sensory delights await! Click here for information on guided desert tours by Jeep, Hummer, hot air balloon, horseback and, of course, on foot.
