teacherD

We are booked to be in Sedona the second week in August for three days. I recently heard about the monsoons in Arizona in July and August. I've read about Pink Jeep tours and contacted them.
They said they go out rain or shine and provide you with ponchos. NO refunds on reservations are given.

Should we even consider this jeep trip? Also, my husband and I both wear contacts and read that they don't advise wearing them. How bad is the dust????

TedTurner

The term monsoon is verrry overdramatic. Phoenix is in the desert, of course, so even modest rain causes flooding. It would take a near monsoon in places like Chicago or Denver to cause the same amount of flooding that a half inch of rain causes in PHX. The term monsoon has little to do with heavy rainfall (the wettest month of the year in PHX is Aug, when an average of 1.0 inches of rain falls), and more to do with the desert's inability to drain the water that does fall. And the storms are infrequent, even during the 'monsoon season'. Up in Sedona, the issue is much more muted.
Bottom line: don't change your plans.

giro

The only thing I would add is that the "monsoon storms" that you are referring to are usually the result of the build up of heat and moisture and the storms themselves usually occur late afternoon after the air heats up. They result in windy thunderstorms that come rolling through and within an hour or so disappear. Of course there are exceptions but they usually don't last that long. They are most frequent, I believe, in southeast Az near Tucson. From past experience, I would schedule a jeep tour during the morning hours.
I've been to Sedona often in August, I recall afternoon rains but not that much dust.
I would definetly do the jeep tours...it is cooler and should be better weather if you do it before noon.

utahtea

I don't know about Arizona but I think New Mexico is more prone to the monsoon season.

I've been in New Mexico east of Albuquerque in August and thunderstorms come up and start pouring and even the sides of roads can become flash flood areas one minute and then the sun comes out and it's back to normal.

Utahtea

wendy_wetson

One thing I remember vividly about the monsoon season in Arizona in August were the incredibly bright and beautiful rainbows that appear in the sky like an archway.

kkj

In this country monsoons only happen in Arizona. They do not occur in New Mexico. Monsoons involve walls of dust and high winds. Not every summer storm we have is a monsoon storm. Some are just plain rainstorms. Pink Jeep and other tour operators will not cancel tours due to rainstorms. They will probably cancel due to a monsoon as the dust and crossing washes is very dangerous to deal with. The likelihood that your trip will be harmed by a monsoon is miniscule. Just take care to heed advice about dust and crossing washes and you will be just fine.

Have fun.

utahtea

kkj,

You might want to do a little more research before you tell people that monsoons don't happen in New Mexico. I found many good web sites that refer to New Mexico's monsoon season. The first one is from Weather.com and the second is from NOAA. I think they know a little more than you do.

http://www.weather.com/encyclopedia/.../air_mass.html


http://www.srh.noaa.gov/abq/climate/.../July/nams.htm

http://www.cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/resour...r97/ofair.html

Utahtea...been in New Mexico monsoon!

karincummings

I disagree with Ted Turner. The monsoons are real in AZ, but you should not change your plans. When people think of a monsoon, they think of India - it has to do with the barometric pressure, not with the amount of rain. It will rain every day in Northern AZ in the afternoon in July and August. The clouds build in the AM and by 2 or 3, it will pour. You can see them building to the North. The San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff are huge - almost 13,000 feet high - and they create their own weather. The good news is it doesn't last that long. Just be careful if you are out hiking anywhere. People have gotten caught in flash floods and swept away, particularly near water.

I live in Phoenix and we go up to Sedona a lot. Not to be missed is the West Fork trail of Oak Creek Canyon. This is a pretty easy trail that crosses the West Fork of Oak Creek numerous times. If you decide to do it, wear old sneakers, because you will be wading in water. It doesn;t work to wear great boots and then just have to take them off at every crossing. Sneakers are fine. It amazes me that people get up to Sedona but don't make it to Oak Creek, which is a beautiful perennial creek not far from Sedona. It is gorgeous. You can drive 30-45 minutes through the canyon up to Flagstaff. Or just take a picnic and hang out on the water. It is my favorite place in AZ. We spend Thanksgiving every year at a cabin up there.

Pink Jeep tours are very fun. I wouldn't worry about contacts if you are wearing sunglasses. Take drops with you. I do recall, however, that after one jeep tour I took, I cleaned out my ears - and they were red from the sandstone dust. The rock formations up there are sandstone. They are spectacular.

bigtyke

the monsoon refers to the change of wind direction. In winter, the wind is from the west. In the summer it is from the SE, bringing moisture from the Gulf of Mexico into west Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Sometimes it spills into Utah and Colorado.

Phoenix (and Sedona) are on the western edge of the monsoon. The past few years, the associated thunderstorms seem to rarely make it to Phoenix.

At any rate, this is an afternoon occurance, so I would book the morning tour.

teacherD

Thanks to all who shared their thoughts. We feel more comfortable booking the Pink Jeep Tour for the early morning!

Let's hope we can get a hot air balloon ride in also on one of our other days there!
Those I know will not go up in inclement weather!