Stormy Weather: Western Atmospheres

May 27 - October 8, 2017

It might be surprising that Arizona, a state that encompasses a large portion of the dry Sonoran desert, should be famous for its rain. Buzzwords like “haboob”, “monsoon”, and “flash flood” have been engrained in the nation’s imagination by national newscasts and viral videos on social media. Those exotic terms echo our idea of the “Wild” West as untamed and unpredictable. In a land of outlaws, even the weather seems to defy the laws of physics. Just as the West is more than vigilantes and lawmen, Arizona’s weather is more than dust clouds and thunderstorms. From record-breaking heat waves to snowy blizzards, from the Colorado Plateau to the Sonoran Desert, Arizonans have learned to prepare, react to, and live in harmony with the state’s unpredictable weather. Stormy Weather: Western Atmospheres captures a range of human responses to Arizona’s diverse weather conditions. Artists strive to capture the power and beauty of monsoons in their work, while scientists seek to understand the weather with measuring tools and equipment. Residents of Arizona cope with these extremes by donning protective clothing and constructing weather-resistant homes and structures. Experience the beauty, mystery, and power of our Western atmospheres at Desert Caballeros Western Museum.