Vegas: Summer Storm

It's no secret that in the desert, rain is a rarity. There are songs about it, and not just that one you've been hearing a lot lately. I've talked about it. There are water-cops! It is, simply, a known fact- rain and the desert are generally pretty rarely acquainted, and on those few and far between times when the sky does actually open up and let loose it's typically hot and heavy, like most summer romances. And in that same vein, the rains tend to occur mostly during the summer season, when the unrelenting heat gets peeled back for just a brief respite and the sky darkens. They're often turbulent storms, crackling up a lot of lightning and thunder, so we like to joke that Thor is paying us a friendly visit. Naturally, these brief and intense storms typically result in flash flooding, as water runs downhill and the city of Las Vegas itself is situated in a valley. This transforms normal-seeming roads into potential death traps, as drivers underestimate the depth of the water and drive in too deep, get stranded, or worse. So, if you happen to find yourself visiting Las Vegas during one of our few and far-between monsoons, be smart about driving out there and stay on dry land. 

These photos were captured by Antho, at a safe elevation away from the majority of the rains. It's not easy to capture lightning on film, and it took a lot of attempts to get some of the shots he managed, with a lot of tinkering in settings. It's so gratifying when you do finally capture the ephemeral bolts in action, though! I've always loved stormy weather, probably in large part because it is such an unusual occurrence here. I mean, we typically get them during the summers, but beyond that, they'll happen when mother nature decides it's time. We've been in quite a serious drought for a long, long time, too, so each time we get rain there's the vain hope that maybe, just maybe this time will be the one to really crack open and dump desperately needed hydration into the lands. We're still waiting...but these rains, they're nice. 

💖

XOXO,

NAU