Yuma monsoon season is little like dating

Situation often brings lots of flirting, some fun, and explosive moments, too

Hello, monsoon. It feels like we’ve said hello in passing a few times, but this week is the first that we’ve really connected this season.

Monsoons are like dating. One knows that at first, there is a lot of flirting — clouds on the horizon, lightning in the distance, etc. However, the moment passes, and nothing really comes of it. Just a bit of cloud coverage and often, an unreasonable amount of humidity in the air.

But every once in a while, the connection is made and BOOM. Just like in love, the results can be explosive.

Sometimes, it’s a great relationship. The wind cools the area down, and we get to enjoy a little rain. The sunset is spectacular, and the damage is minimal. We feel pretty good about life, because what’s not to enjoy about a little cool down in the midst of a Yuma summer?

Other times though, that relationship goes south. The winds are devastating, ripping off roofs and flipping over canopies. Water floods our garages, and our pools are filled with debris. Trees and branches litter the roadways, and our cars are coated in wet dirt. Power lines snap, transformers blow up and we swelter while we wait for APS to find and fix the problem. The heartbreak and stress can be high.

On Tuesday around 11 a.m., the humidity was hovering at 49 percent, with the temperature at 90 degrees. Not the best of conditions, but not the worst after a monsoon like we saw Monday, either.

Tuesday evening was expected to bring a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, which may or may not pan out into anything, so the dance continues.

And as the week progresses, those chances drop down to around 10 percent, the National Weather Service reports, before fading away on Thursday and Friday.

But never fear. Come Saturday, the dance could begin again, with the National Weather Service calling for wind gusts at 20 mph, and a 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms.

Hopefully, the monsoon brings pleasant conditions. But just in case, Yuma, be prepared to court Mother Nature all over again and be safe!

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