janisj

>>BTW - I don't think the greater Coachella Valley - Palm Springs to Indio and beyond - ever had "monsoons"

Tomsd

Uh - "Monsoons" - not really. They average about 5 inches of rain annually in Palm Springs and lately - even less.

BTW - my in laws lived in Palm Desert for over 15 years and
"survived" the summers - but some residents to like to travel elsewhere in the late summer months.

Yes, there can be a rainstorm once in a while - with some desert flooding - but hardly a monsoon as they get in India/Asia

Those of you who use the term monsoon are as "loose" as the newscaster who tried to become noteworthy by incorrectly applying that term to the desert areas.

And Colorado gets summer rainstorms because the air over the lower/flat parts - eastern Colo - warms and rises and the wind blowing in from the west - which cooler air as it has to pass over the Rockies - condenses and yields what are usually very short thunderstorms - late afternoon most times - around 3:30 or so.

Tomsd

But yes, in 2013 - Colorado got hit hard with the summer rains - and the pristine little Boulder creek became a torrent.

Tomsd

And just for comparison's sake - the real Monsoon areas - in India for example - can receive almost 400 inches of rainfall annually.

Waaaaay more than the 5 inches - or less - that the Palm Springs area receives every year.

MmePerdu

A National Weather Service document:

"...considerable research, which culminated in the Southwest Arizona Monsoon Project (SWAMP) in 1990 and 1993, established the fact that a bonafide monsoon, characterized by large-scale wind and rainfall shifts in the summer, develops over much of Mexico and the intermountain region of the U.S."

And "This monsoon ridge is almost as strong as the one which develops over Asia during the summer...A monsoon is a large scale weather pattern which causes our summer thunderstorms."

http://www.met.sjsu.edu/metr166/docs/monsoon_NA.pdf

Tomsd

Again, compare the rainfall amounts. One is a buzzword - the other real.

mlgb

Are you creating your own definitions now, Tomsd?

A monsoon is a weather pattern as defined and studied by meteorologists. It's their definition, not my 'buzzword'. The Indian monsoon is the most famous and likely the only one you have heard of, but they actually happen all over the world. You might use this as an opportunity to learn something new, rather than trying to defend your error.

We even get the edges of monsoon conditions in the Los Angeles basin. One July I was having a walkway repaired and as the cement worker finished the final trowel, a hailstorm happened. Lucky he was still here. Had to go with the broom finish instead.

mlgb

Here's another document from the National Weather service about the North American Monsoon

http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/product...soon_aug04.pdf

I'm guessing you didn't study geography and meteorology in law school?

Tomsd

No I first heard about Monsoons in grade school - and some of the "modern" weather reporters probably should have too, and not confused (tried to dramatize really) monsoons with a summer thunderstorm.

Tomsd

But not to lose sight of the orignal question(s) in this thread - June is certainly "manageable" in Palm springs - at least IMO - and no - you won't get swept away by a monsoon flood -not when the average rainfall is only 5 inches.

janisj

mlgb: Give it up - tom likes to have the last word - even when that word is wrong (or totally unrelated to the topic)

mlgb

Tomsd is a lawyer. When they are wrong, they like to parse definitions. What's the definition of "is", Tomsd?

Ask the families of the dead Arizona firefighters (Yarnell fire) if that was a "real" monsoon.

WhereAreWe

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsoon

You don't need 400 inches of rain to have a monsoon. The first sentence of that link says it all.

WhereAreWe

'And no - you won't get swept away by a monsoon flood - not when the average rainfall is only 5 inches.'

Flash floods in desert regions can (and do) happen with far less rainfall than 5 inches. It's amazing how less than half an inch can wreak havoc.

mlgb

And yes, people, roads, bridges and cars do/ eg, who remembers the big flash flood in Death Valley last July?

Sorry Tomsd, you are not winning your argument. This is why law firms hire expert witnesses.

Try changing the subject again.

Tomsd

So is the popular opinion on this page that the visitors to Palm Springs - in June - are horrors:

More likely to get swept away by a flash flood - or suffer a heatstroke?

mlgb

Actually I commented that June IS manageable, way way up=thread, especially early June, as the monsoon season does not typically start until later in the summer. Then humidity starts to rise and you lose the cool overnight temps and early mornings.

Yes, I even looked at which dates the OP was asking about.

Although I only owned my condo for five years (bought low, sold high), I have been visiting the Palm Desert/Rancho Mirage area for about 25 years, often during the shoulder months of May-June and Sept-October. I don't particularly like to rub shoulders with all the snowbirds. Except the Canadians, of course.

PSLocal

All the hyperbole and bickering aside, June can be quite a nice month in the desert.

Days are hot, with physical activities like golf, tennis, or hikes best scheduled from sunup to 10 AM. Poolside lounging is very enjoyable. Nights are fabulous and comfortable in shorts and t-shirts.

Restaurants are easier to get into, with abundant off-season deals; hotel rates and packages, e.g. low room rates with spa or golf are typically good; also traffic is much lighter.

All in all, June can be a good month to come. If you doubt this, go check out the Ace Hotel, Omni Rancho Las Palmas, or Esmeralda on a June weekend...lots of people.