Hello everyone, I have an interesting topic today, one that personally I was kind of shocked to discover…..there are summer monsoons in Prescott AZ!!!

When I first came to Riddle Prescott campus I thought, well its the dessert, dry, sunny, pretty, very different from California but, during my first week of Air Force ROTC (zero week) in the middle of August I discovered that Riddle’s Prescott campus can be anything but predictable. Don’t take this badly, what I mean by this is that the weather during the summer months can go from warm and sunny to windy and stormy within a matter of minutes. I highly advise a large umbrella and/or rain slickers and boots for the summer months.

I will be staying at Embry Riddle’s Prescott campus for a summer session in order to work toward a minor in mathematics, so I might have some helpful tips for you if you intend to attend the university over the monsoon season.

So far, I like the monsoons, to be complete honest they are fascinating. The clouds gather in various colors of white, blue, and gray then burst out into massive downpours that can last anywhere from 2 or 3 minutes to an hour or so. The campus literally transforms itself when it rains, if you have toured the Prescott campus you have probably seen the numerous bridges, and artfully designed drainage ditches throughout inner campus. Well, when a large downpour occurrs these turn into tiny raging rivers and carry the water straight through campus without harming any of the structures  or students. The campus has been specifically designed to handle the varieties of climate that this gorgeous environment displays.

An example of the climate’s variety is shown below, this image is of the local Thumb Butte Landmark in Prescott AZ. The picture was taken just as a monsoon was rolling into the area.

Thumb Butte Monsoon

An example of how most Arizona institutions handle the weather is also included below:

Bridge over Rocky Monsoon Canal on Campus

Whether you enjoy a rainy summer or not I highly encourage potential students to make at least two visits to the campus in different seasons so that they can at least experience some of the various weather that is common in Prescott Arizona. As my summer here continues I will update you on the ways I employ to combat the weather and also the fun that results from living in this beautiful and diverse area 🙂