North American Monsoon–August 2024

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A curtain of light rain from a dissipating thunderstorm is brilliantly illuminated by the setting sun.

Storms in August were more plentiful than in July although there were still some extended breaks in the monsoon. Rainbows remained elusive for me. I was able to photograph a few that displayed short segments but I never captured a full rainbow. Lightning, on the other hand, was plentiful and I did well in that genre.

Here is a partial summary of August monsoon photography.

04 August 2024

Mormon Lake Overlook is a short drive from Flagstaff and affords an amazing 360° view. This was one of the many days with only a partial rainbow but the juxtaposition of the rainbow and the tree in the grasslands of Anderson Mesa was a pleasing composition. A few minutes later the Sun beautifully illuminated some light rain falling from a dissipating thunderstorm. The color was intense and only lasted a few minutes.

A short segment of a rainbow above the grasslands of Anderson Mesa in northern Arizona.
A short segment of a rainbow above the grasslands of Anderson Mesa in northern Arizona.
A curtain of light rain from a dissipating thunderstorm is brilliantly illuminated by the setting sun.
A curtain of light rain from a dissipating thunderstorm is brilliantly illuminated by the setting sun.

06 August 2024

Two days later I was back at Mormon Lake, this time in the early afternoon. This storm produced an incredible amount of lightning. Both of these are stacks of several lightning images. The final image shows smoke from a small fire started by lightning on the upper slopes of Mormon Mountain.

Composite image of multiple lightning strikes over Mormon Lake basin.
Composite image of multiple lightning strikes over Mormon Lake basin.
Composite image of multiple lightning strikes with the San Francisco Peaks in the distance.
Composite image of multiple lightning strikes with the San Francisco Peaks in the distance.
Smoke from a lightning-caused fire on Mormon Mountain.
Smoke from a lightning-caused fire on Mormon Mountain.

07 August 2024

Storms got a late start on this day but when they did they were impressive. I would have preferred a bit of residual twilight to light the landscape but I don’t get to choose how the weather evolves. The silhouetted structure in the lightning shots is Wukoki Pueblo at Wupatki National Monument.

A cloud-to-ground lightning flash creates a silhouette of Wukoki Pueblo in Wupatki National Monument.
A cloud-to-ground lightning flash creates a silhouette of Wukoki Pueblo in Wupatki National Monument.
A cloud-to-air lightning flash creates a silhouette of Wukoki Pueblo in Wupatki National Monument.
A cloud-to-air lightning flash creates a silhouette of Wukoki Pueblo in Wupatki National Monument.

08 August 2024

Initially I was targeting Grand Canyon but turned around when I realized that storms were already moving across the canyon and stabilizing the air mass. Instead, I headed to the San Francisco Volcanic Field north of Flagstaff. The night images were looking at a distant storm near Winslow. I especially like how the entire cloud gets illuminated plus there is a sky full of stars above. Sublime!

Late-afternoon convection develops over the San Francisco Volcanic Field.
Late-afternoon convection develops over the San Francisco Volcanic Field.
A cloud-to-ground lightning flash in the San Francisco Volcanic Field.
A cloud-to-ground lightning flash in the San Francisco Volcanic Field.
A distant storm over the Painted Desert.
A distant storm over the Painted Desert.

10 August 2024

This was yet another evening spent at Mormon Lake. The thunderstorm has lightning traveling down from near the top and exiting at cloud base–with a reflection in the shallow waters of Mormon Lake.

An early evening thunderstorm produces a cloud-to-ground lightning flash with reflections in Mormon Lake.
An early evening thunderstorm produces a cloud-to-ground lightning flash with reflections in Mormon Lake.

11 August 2024

Once again storms over Grand Canyon went off early in the afternoon and there was not any night time lightning. During the late afternoon I moved from Navajo Point to Yavapai Point hoping for a rainbow at sunset. I did not get get a rainbow but there was this small area of color in the sky that evening.

Mid-afternoon thunderstorms produce lightning over Grand Canyon.
Mid-afternoon thunderstorms produce lightning over Grand Canyon.
Sunset brings some muted colors to convection over Grand Canyon.
Sunset brings some muted colors to convection over Grand Canyon.

12 August 2024

This was a great sunset colors episode at Wupatki National Monument. First, there was a brief period of about four minutes when the Sun illuminated Wukoki Pueblo. Moments later it was gone but there were still some brilliant beams of light cutting across the sky. Wonderful!

The setting Sun illuminates Wukoki Pueblo in Wupatki National Monument.
The setting Sun illuminates Wukoki Pueblo in Wupatki National Monument.
Beams of light from the setting Sun light up the clouds at Wupatki National Monument.
Beams of light from the setting Sun light up the clouds at Wupatki National Monument.
The setting Sun lights up the clouds over the distant San Francisco Peaks.
The setting Sun lights up the clouds over the distant San Francisco Peaks.
The last light of the setting Sun illuminates a distant storm.
The last light of the setting Sun illuminates a distant storm.

17 August 2024

Grand Canyon, again. As the Sun lowered it sent crepuscular rays into the canyon. In the wider view, crepuscular rays can be seen angling down into the canyon as well as across the sky above.

Then the lightning show started at the other end of the canyon. Oh, I wish I had been at Navajo Point or Lipan Point for this lightning show. It was spectacular. One of the best lightning shots in the canyon that I have ever seen was taken from Navajo Point that evening–but it wasn’t by me.

The setting Sun illuminates moisture in Grand Canyon.
The setting Sun illuminates moisture in Grand Canyon.
A wider-angle view shows crepuscular rays both in the canyon and the clouds above.
A wider-angle view shows crepuscular rays both in the canyon and the clouds above.
A thunderstorm produces multiple lightning strikes in Grand Canyon as the Moon rises above the clouds.
A thunderstorm produces multiple lightning strikes in Grand Canyon as the Moon rises above the clouds.
Cloud-to-ground and cloud-to-air lightning emanate from this storm over Grand Canyon.
Cloud-to-ground and cloud-to-air lightning emanate from this storm over Grand Canyon.
A highly-branched lightning bolt lands in Grand Canyon.
A highly-branched lightning bolt lands in Grand Canyon.

20 August 2024

This was another afternoon and evening spent at Mormon Lake. Late afternoon storms produced a multitude of lightning strikes to the east–some of which framed the only trees on the grasslands of Anderson Mesa. As the Sun set, it lit up the rain falling from the base of a small rain shower (no lightning, unfortunately).

A partial rainbow over the grasslands of Anderson Mesa.
A partial rainbow over the grasslands of Anderson Mesa.
A lightning bolt with multiple landing points frames a tree on the grasslands of Anderson Mesa.
A lightning bolt with multiple landing points frames a tree on the grasslands of Anderson Mesa.
A lightning bolt with multiple landing points and a partial rainbow over the grasslands of Anderson Mesa.
A lightning bolt with multiple landing points and a partial rainbow over the grasslands of Anderson Mesa.
The setting Sun brilliantly illuminates the rain falling from a small shower.
The setting Sun brilliantly illuminates the rain falling from a small shower.
The setting Sun brilliantly illuminates the rain falling from a small shower.
The setting Sun brilliantly illuminates the rain falling from a small shower.

22 August 2024

My luck in Sedona turned around on this visit as a late afternoon cluster of thunderstorms moved across the area. I even managed to get a segment of a rainbow. And, finally, there was a large bolt as heavy rain moved across Cathedral Rock.

A lightning bolt behind Cathedral Rock in Sedona.
A lightning bolt behind Cathedral Rock in Sedona.
A partial rainbow over Cathedral Rock in Sedona.
A partial rainbow over Cathedral Rock in Sedona.
A lightning bolt strikes nearby as heavy rain moves across Cathedral Rock in Sedona.
A lightning bolt strikes nearby as heavy rain moves across Cathedral Rock in Sedona.

23 August 2024

After several days of widespread rain across the area there was a chance of morning fog so I found myself out at Lake Mary and Mormon Lake at sunrise. I was not disappointed.

Clouds cap the San Francisco Peaks while fog lingers in the valleys near Lake Mary.
Clouds cap the San Francisco Peaks while fog lingers in the valleys near Lake Mary.
The fog dissipates over Lower Lake Mary.
The fog dissipates over Lower Lake Mary.
Sunflowers and fog at Lower Lake Mary.
Sunflowers and fog at Lower Lake Mary.

25 August 2024

Again hoping for fog I visited Lake Mary and Mormon Lake for sunrise. The clouds capping the top of the peaks were magnificent with amazing color for a few minutes. On the way back home, I captured a bit of color in the fog that was probably a small segment of a glory.

A band of clouds crown the San Francisco Peaks at sunrise.
A band of clouds crown the San Francisco Peaks at sunrise.
A wide-angle view of the clouds over the San Francisco Peaks.
A wide-angle view of the clouds over the San Francisco Peaks.
A patch of light and color--likely from a glory--is visible in fog over Upper Lake Mary.
A patch of light and color–likely from a glory–is visible in fog over Upper Lake Mary.

31 August 2024

Brief segments of a rainbow appear over the grasslands of Anderson Mesa.

A beam of light pierces beneath a dissipating thunderstorm and creates a small segment of rainbow.
A beam of light pierces beneath a dissipating thunderstorm and creates a small segment of rainbow.
A telephoto view of the rainbow segment.
A telephoto view of the rainbow segment.

It is now September and the monsoon is fading away. We will probably see another round or two of storms as we move into the transition season–the season between monsoon thunderstorms and autumn cold fronts.

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