It's a lovely feeling to open the weather app and see emojis of clouds sitting next to each day of the upcoming week.
That's what's been happening recently and, in many areas of Tucson, the weather forecasts have been true — rain showers, lightning strikes, the booming sounds of thunder.
So far this monsoon season, which officially runs from June 15 to Sept. 30, the Tucson International Airport has seen 1.94 inches of rain as of Aug. 10, according to the National Weather Service Tucson. On average, by this time, Tucson usually receives 3.09 inches.
But there's still time. August is expected to see slightly above-average rainfall. So far in August alone, the airport has received 0.63 inches of rain.
To compare, the 2021 monsoon season finished as the third-wettest on record and ended with 12.79 inches of rain. July 2021 was the wettest July on record. And 2020 was dreadful, if you remember — it was the second-driest monsoon on record, tallying only 1.62 inches of rain the entire season.
The average amount of rain that Tucson sees during monsoon season is 5.69 inches, according to the weather service.
As Tucsonans know, though, it's not unusual to get tons of rain in one area of town and none in your own backyard. Check out rainlog.org, which was developed at the University of Arizona, to see rain totals recorded in other areas of Tucson. The site uses data from volunteers who have rain gauges at their homes and enter their totals through a form online following a storm. Anyone can join.
Monsoon doesn't officially end until Sept. 30 — while we wait to see how much rain the 2022 season gets, we compiled this gallery of 19 incredible monsoon photos taken by the talented photographers at the Arizona Daily Star.
The clouds open and rain pours from a monsoon storm moving across the Tucson Mountains into Marana on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022.
Lightning strikes in the southern Rincon Mountain foothills, the second night in row a monsoon storm moved in from the east and through Vail, Ariz., Aug. 7, 2022.
A monsoon storm passes over the Rincon Mountains on the east side of Tucson, Ariz. on Aug. 7, 2022 as seen from Babad Do'ag Scenic Overlook in the Santa Catalina Mountains.
A monsoon storm moves across Marana and into the Tortolita Mountains on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022.
Lightning strikes the ground while a monsoon storm passes over the Rincon Mountains on the east side of Tucson, Ariz. on Aug. 7, 2022 as seen from Babad Do'ag Scenic Overlook in the Santa Catalina Mountains.
Multiple ground strikes as well as cloud-to-cloud lighting flashes around a home on a ridge southeast of Tucson, Ariz., Aug. 3, 2022. The storm was mostly east of the Rincon Mountains until midnight. Another band was moving to the west just south of the city.
A monsoon storm rolls in over Vail, Ariz., Aug. 6, 2022, dropping rain as well as lightning in the Rincon Mountains and foothills. Lightning was hitting throughout the area for several hours.
Mammatus clouds roll over the evening skies west of the Tucson Mountains during a little light monsoon activity around Tucson, Ariz., July 15, 2022.
Twin bolts hit the southern slopes of the Rincon Mountains as a monsoon storm rolls in over Vail, Ariz., Aug. 6, 2022. High winds and rain also flowed through the area into the night.
Monsoon clouds rise above the desert floor southeast of Tucson, behind Tumamoc Hill on July 26, 2022.
Olga Martinez, far left, and her daughter Raquel Diaz watch a monsoon storm pass over the Santa Catalina Mountains from "A" Mountain in Tucson, Ariz. on July 24, 2022.
A monsoon storm begins dropping rain as it grows to the southeast of Sonoita, Ariz., July 29, 2022. The cell was one of several that formed over the area, dumping rain on the plain for much of the afternoon.
A lightning bolt hits in the valley as an afternoon monsoon storm rolls over east central Tucson, Ariz., July 22, 2022.
With a monsoon cell dropping a bit of rain to the west, fans find seats in the grandstands long the strip during Street Rally night at the Tucson Dragway Tucson, Ariz., June 11, 2022.
A woman walks with her umbrella as a sprinkle of rain falls in downtown Tucson on Aug. 3, 2022.
A woman walks along Sixth Avenue as a sprinkle of rain falls in downtown Tucson on Aug. 3, 2022.
A cyclist rides along The Loop at Grant Road next to the Santa Cruz River swollen with runoff from midtown Tucson storm on July 26, 2022.
A Jeep blasts at high speed into the flooded Arroyo Chico after a monsoon storm dumped inches of rain on parts of Tucson, Ariz., July 26, 2022.
