Beloved Rain: Our Las Cruces Monsoons

 

Monsoons are yearly rains that occur during the same window each year. We have monsoons in the desert Southwest, just as they do in India and Australia and other locales.

We depend on our monsoons, and lately, the weather scientists have taken to calling them "non-soons," because they have not followed their usual yearly pattern. We are in the midst of a drought, and our trees show it, with cottonwoods dying that have lived for decades just on the water from monsoons, and pecans having to be "topped" (cut) due to lack of sufficient rains to swell the Rio Grande during the time its level is being dropped by the Elephant Butte Irrigation District authorities (in preparation for fall and winter). 

Monsoons, when they do arrive, are very exciting. There is lightning, such loud thunder, outflow that is extremely strong, and icy cold, huge raindrops. As newcomers, I want to make sure you know to stay out of and away from arroyos (ditches) in the desert or near your home. They can flood very rapidly. 

We still have a few days left of "monsoon season," and I hope we will get at least one good rain. The plants just grow and perk up dramatically with the rainwater.

The photo at the top of this post is of monsoon clouds as seen from my backyard. A whole "show" was put on, but ultimately, no rain fell in our neighborhood, but the Talaveras neighborhood to the east did get rain. At least someone got rain!