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Tucson is located in a desert valley, surrounded by five mountain ranges. Elevation in the basin runs from 2300 feet up to 2700 feet in the lower foothills. On the north side of Tucson we find the Santa Catalina Mountains rising up to 9100 feet. On the south are the Santa Rita Mountains rising almost 9500 feet. On the East we have the Rincons, on the west the Tucson Mountains and northwest are the less imposing Tortolita Mountains.
Tucson is located 63 miles north of Mexico and 115 miles south of Phoenix. One of Arizona's four original counties, Tucson is the county seat of Pima County. The metropolitan area is spread over 495 square miles.
Tucson is warm and sunny throughout most of the year, with relatively low humidity. Our coldest month is January, hottest and wettest is July and the driest month is May. Average yearly precipitation is 11.14 inches.
Our desert contains a wide diversity of plant life, unlike the Sahara Desert. Not only are there many large trees, such as, the Palo Verde, the Mesquite, the Cottonwood and the Sycamore, we have 42 species of cacti within the Basin. Most bloom from April until late May with the exception of the Barrel Cactus that waits until August.
Click on the month for more information.
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August
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The summer Monsoon Season is here with dramatic thunderstorms in the late afternoons. These storms last perhaps an hour and dramatically change the feel of the desert. The plants open up their stomata and the air is full of heady perfumes. Animals are more active due to the humidity. Most of the birds have finished nesting. However, some like the Botteri's, Cassin's and Five-striped Sparrows are just getting started. Lark Buntings are abundant. Some birds are starting their long migrations and Southern Arizona is right along the fly-way. Our late summer wildflowers are blooming now and food is abundant. Turpentine bush is covering the lower foothills. The Desert Bighorn are searching out their mates. The Spadefoot Toad is in a frenzy to complete it's life cycle before the pools from the rains dry up. This month is the peak month for butterflies. This is the time to watch for Mexican species. Many Tucsonans make their way into the Santa Catalina Mountains, just an hour away and twenty degrees cooler than the basin. Sunrise: 5:39 am Sunset: 7:21 pm Average Temperatures: 72 - 96 degrees. Average rainfall: 2.13 inches.
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