Monsoon season doesn't come to an official close until Sept. 30, but 2021 has already graced us with significantly more summer rains than 2020 did.
Did we mention that July 2021 was deemed the WETTEST MONTH IN TUCSON since weather records started being kept here in 1894?!!
*insert every possible happy emoji here*
According to the National Weather Service, July's rainfall total was 8.06 inches, compared to Tucson's second-wettest month on record: August 1955 with 7.93 inches.
For comparison: Last year (which was Tucson's second-worst monsoon season and I think we can agree that we all hated it), the entire monsoon season ended with a very sad total of 1.62 inches of rain.
To celebrate this year's beautiful monsoon season, here are some of our favorite rainy photos taken by the very talented photographers at the Arizona Daily Star.
In 2020, the Sabino Canyon creek was dry for 216 days, the most since 1990. Then we went abruptly to the wettest month in Tucson history in July 2021. Here, a Sabino Canyon visitor, Brad Balla, sits on a rock near the bottom of the Sabino Dam last month.
A gentleman rests on a rock near the bottom of the Sabino Dam at Sabino Canyon Recreational Area, 5700 N. Sabino Canyon Rd., in Tucson, Ariz. on July 26, 2021.
Tyler Claiborn stands on a rock while watching his daughter play in a pool near the bottom of the Sabino Dam at Sabino Canyon Recreational Area, 5700 N. Sabino Canyon Road, in Tucson, on July 26, 2021.
A puddle of water reflects a patch of greenery and a saguaro cactus along the Bear Canyon Trail at Sabino Canyon Recreational Area, 5700 N. Sabino Canyon Rd., in Tucson, Ariz. on July 26, 2021.
Lighting strikes southwest of Tucson, Ariz., July 29, 2021, from one of several monsoon cells that moved through valley just before sunset.
Several bolts strike in the foothills of the southern Rincon Mountains as an intense monsoon cell rolls into Vail, Ariz., July 30, 2021.
The Rillito River was raging west of Swan Road the weekend of July 24, 2021.
Monsoon storm clouds filter the sun light as a day of rain, mostly in the eastern parts of the valley, comes to an end, Tucson, Ariz., July 16, 2021.
As a monsoon storm builds behind them, Jacob Runyan, left, and Michele Bayze watch the clouds and rain roll over the valley in front of them from a boulder at Windy Point in the Santa Catalinas, Tucson, Ariz., June 30, 2021.
Cloudy skies cover an area near Burke Drive and W. Cortaro Farms Road in Oro Valley, Ariz. on June 30, 2021.
A couple watch as a monsoon storm begins to drop rain in the eastern reaches of the Santa Catalinas from a lookout near Windy Point, Tucson, Ariz., June 30, 2021.
A woman gets cell phone footage of the light rain dropping in the valley below as a monsoon storm rolls through the Santa Catalinas over parts of Tucson, Ariz., June 30, 2021.
The sun sets behind monsoon clouds and rain to the west of Tucson Mountain Park, Tucson, Ariz., July 1, 2021.
Lightning flashes over the Santa Rita Mountains from one of the scattered monsoon storms surrounding Tucson, Ariz., July 7, 2021.
A wall of dust dwarfs downtown as a haboob leads a large monsoon storm into the area, Tucson, Ariz., July 10, 2021. In addition to the haboob the storm dropped heavy rain, winds, lightning and dust over the valley.
Dust from a haboob obscures the skyline, the precursor to a large monsoon storm that swept through the area, Tucson, Ariz., July 10, 2021.
People take photos in front of a flowing Rillito River at North Campbell Avenue on July 12, 2021.
A large cloud covers the top of the Santa Catalina Mountains in Tucson, Ariz. on July 14th, 2021. Photo taken from E. River Rd.
The leading edge of a haboob, left, blackens the evening sky as it sweeps north over the area near Greaswood and Speedway, ushering in a large monsoon storm over Tucson, Ariz., July 10, 2021.
A pedestrian negotiates flooded Euclid Avenue near 2nd Street as heavy rains from a large monsoon storm inundate Tucson, Ariz., July 10, 2021.
A biker on the Rillito River Park paths pedals next to the muddy waters in the channel as he heads east under the Craycroft Road bridge after an overnight monsoon storm dropped heavy rains on the north and west parts of the valley, Tucson, Ariz., July 14, 2021.
Pedestrians negotiate the flooded intersection of Tyndall Avenue and University Boulevard during a heavy rain.
Rains rolls down the Tanque Verde Valley behind an agave bloom in the Santa Catalinas, part of a monsoon storm trickling into the valley, Tucson, Ariz., June 30, 2021.
A pair of bikers ride under the sunset sky under monsoon clouds along the Rillito River Park paths near Columbus Avenue, Tucson, Ariz., July 13, 2021.
Clouds fill the sky behind a large ocotillo following a rainstorm on E. River Rd. in Tucson, Ariz. on July 14th, 2021.
A dove fights the winds as the dust forms a haboob and darkens the skies as a large monsoon storm sweeps through the area, Tucson, Ariz., July 10, 2021.
The Rillito River flows near First Ave and Wetmore Road after a monsoon storm passed over the area in Tucson, Ariz. on July 2, 2021.
Monsoon clouds move in over the old control tower at Tucson International Airport as an isolated rain storm drops a little bit of precipitation on the south side of Tucson, Ariz., June 23, 2021.
A bird sits on a saguaro against a backdrop of cloudy skies along W. Cortaro Farms Road in Oro Valley, Ariz. on June 30, 2021.
