The North American Monsoon in August was mostly missing in action–at least over northern Arizona. There were several “monsoon burst” periods but these were greatly exceeded by “monsoon breaks.”
A lot of my photography took place at Mormon Lake. It’s close to home and has great views in all directions. And some years it even has water! Other locations this month included Grand Canyon National Park, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, and Wupatki National Monument.
11 August 2026
This day provided some afternoon thunderstorms over the vast grasslands of Wupatki National Park followed by some evening photography at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.
A distant thunderstorm over the Coconino Plateau of northern Arizona.A thunderstorm produces lightning over the Painted Desert east of Wupatki National Monument.Sunset light at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.The sunset has ended but a rainbow remains over Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.A zoomed-in view of a rainbow in Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.
We are once again in the North American Monsoon season. This year’s monsoon began slowly with a few false starts in early July but arrived in earnest by the middle of the month. And what a wet period the second half of the month was over parts of northern Arizona. Rainfall measured at the Flagstaff airport was 3.63″ compared to the 30-year (1991–2020) average of 2.61″ and the total period of record (1898–2026) of 2.74″.
07 July 2026
The summer monsoon hadn’t really started yet—but there was enough moisture available to get a few cumuliform clouds and a nice sunset. It was a good practice session for what was to follow.
Light from the setting sun illuminates the base of clouds over Anderson Mesa in northern Arizona.A few clouds glow with the light of the setting sun while smoke from the Pocket Fire can be seen just above the horizon.
18 July 2026
Monsoon moisture finally arrived and big storms were present. The sunset light on the clouds and rain was remarkable!
Several large thunderstorms over central Arizona.As the sun set it illuminated both clouds and rain creating this amazing red sunset sky.Add a bit of lightning and the sky becomes truly wild.A few more lightning flashes light up the sky with the San Francisco Peaks visible in the distance.Cool, moist outflow from distant storms created this impressive shelf cloud.
Wildflower photographs and trail running. It’s a nice match.
I typically carry the small Sony RX100 VII camera when I go on trail runs. It easily fits into my waist pack or on the shoulder strap of my Camelbak water pack so it is always handy. Running should be about having fun and stopping to photograph the flowers makes for a fun adventure.
Wildflowers seen on Schultz Creek Trail north of Flagstaff, Arizona.
Evening primrose
Penstemon
Coralroot
Yellow salsify
Trail map
Columbine
Deerbrush
Cryptanthas
Penstemon
Sometimes all you need to do is walk out into your backyard and adjacent open spaces to see a variety of wildflowers. For these shorter trips, I carry the Sony RX10 IV.
Wildflowers seen in my backyard and adjacent open space.
Prickly pear cactus
Milkweed with a pollen wasp
Sticky geranium
Sonoran bean
Bluehead gilia
Prairie coneflower
Fleabane
Lupine
Flax
Both cameras have a zoom lens (24-200 on the RX100; 24-600 on the RX10) allowing me to get closeups of the flowers without having to get too close.
I was very happy to be able to see and to photograph Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) during a two-week period in the middle of April. Later in the month it became more difficult to see the comet in the morning twilight. After it made its closest approach to the Sun it flipped into the evening sky but by that time it was best seen from the Southern Hemisphere. Those of us in the Northern Hemisphere had already had a great show from this comet.
C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) is a hyperbolic Oort cloud comet and passed perihelion on 19 April 2026 when it was 75 million km from the Sun. Around perihelion it reached about an apparent magnitude of +3. The comet was discovered by PanSTARRS in images obtained on 8 September 2025. By 20 March 2026 it became visible in 10×50 binoculars. As of May, the comet has faded, moved into the southern skies, and will require binoculars or a camera to locate.
I photographed the comet from two locations: the west side of Mormon Lake in the small pullout; and from Ashurst Lake overlooking the water. I was hoping for some reflections of the comet in the lake waters (as I had from Comet C/2023 A3) but was not successful.
Here are several photographs of Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) from April 2026.
Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) on 09 April 2026. Photographed from the west side of Mormon Lake. Nikon D850, 80mm, ƒ/4.0, ISO 400, 8×60 seconds. Images stacked with Siril.Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) on 12 April 2026. Photographed from Ashurst Lake. Nikon D850, 35mm, ƒ/1.8, ISO 100, 2×240 seconds (composite of two images: one for the foreground; one for the sky).Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) on 15 April 2026. Nikon D850, 180mm, ƒ/4.0, ISO 800, 16×120 seconds. Stacked with Siril.Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) on 15 April 2026. Nikon D850, 180mm, ƒ/4.0, ISO 800, 16×120 seconds. Stacked with Siril then inverted into a black-and-white negative image.Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) on 15 April 2026. Nikon D850, 180mm, ƒ/4.0, ISO 800, 16×120 seconds. Stacked with Siril then star removal using StarNet software.Comet C/2025 R3 (PanSTARRS) on 17 April 2026. Photographed from the west side of Mormon Lake. Nikon D850, 35mm, ƒ/1.8, ISO 200, 2×120 seconds (composite of two images: one for the foreground; one for the sky).
In July/August, Comet 10P/Tempel 2 should be a good camera target although it is not expected to reach unaided eye brightness.
The good news was precipitation was slightly above normal in April (measured: 1.02″; normal: 0.89″) although it mostly fell as rain and not as snow (measured: 0.3″; normal: 5.0″). The moisture helped keep the trails in great shape. Only towards the end of the month did the trails start to become dusty.
Kelly Canyon
This is an out-and-back that can start from either the top or bottom of the canyon. We chose to start low because there would be water at the confluence of Kelly Canyon and Pumphouse Wash and I wanted to visit it earlier in the day. Good choice.
Early morning light at the confluence of Kelly Canyon and Pumphouse Wash.Mid-morning light at the confluence of Kelly Canyon and Pumphouse Wash.Some wildflowers (valerian) to gaze at as we run the canyon.Running up the canyon.Sometimes you run; sometimes you walk.
