Each year, from July to September, a season known as the monsoon descends on Grand Canyon West, creating spectacular thunder and lightning storms that have thrilled travelers for years. Of course, there are risks associated with lightning. However, if you follow a few precautions, you'll safely experience one of the planet's best natural "fireworks shows."
The word "monsoon" is Arabic for "a season." It was first used to describe the winds over the Arabian Sea that blow southwest for half a year then switch direction and blow northeast for the other half. Europe, Africa, and the western coasts of Chile and the U.S. experience a monsoon season.
The monsoon that comes to Arizona is nothing like the one that douses India, for example (In fact, Arizona's is rather marginal, dumping an average of 2.45 inches of rain in three months), and is the result of cool air from the Sea of Cortez and the Gulf of Mexico meeting the hot air of the desert to produce thunderstorms. The monsoon officially starts when the average daily dew point is 55 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
The most important thing for travelers to the West Rim to remember about thunderstorms is lightning, and the rule of thumb is this: If you can hear thunder, lightning is nearby. Here are a few tips if you get stuck in storm:
If a thunderstorm is nearby, stay indoors or get inside a vehicle (not a convertible).
Do not use cellular phones
If you are outside, avoid isolated trees or utility poles. Don't stand on open hilltops. Seek shelter under a thick growth of small trees.
Get off or away from open water. If you are in a group in the open, stay several yards apart from each other.
During thunderstorms, the Grand Canyon Skywalk will be closed to the public until the storm passes. Skywalk management will also close the attraction if lightning is sighted in a two-mile radius.
Flash floods are a common feature of monsoon thunderstorms. If you drive to the West Rim, be aware that the last 10 miles to the Park entrance is dirt road. If you find yourself stuck in fast-moving water, get out and seek higher ground. Same applies if your vehicle stalls in a wash. Hikers are also urged to go to higher ground if they are in gullies or canyons during a thunderstorm.
Typical monsoon-related thunderstorms are powerful but brief, and do not lead to trip cancellations or rescheduling (this applies to bus, helicopter, and rafting tours). Many people find this to be one of the best times to visit Grand Canyon West. The temperatures cool down. The horizon is filled with thunderheads. Lightning puts on a natural light show. But most unique is the fresh sage and creosote smell of the Mojave Desert after a good downpour.
Your chances of getting physically affected by monsoon storms are slight. Each year in Arizona, flooding results in up to three causalities and lightning up to two. Remember, the monsoon is the weakest in Northern Arizona. Most of these accidents happen from Phoenix down to the border of Mexico. However, you still need to take the precautions, and, by doing so, you'll have an incredible Grand Canyon West Rim experience.
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