As temperatures border the triple-digit mark, could the start of the monsoon be too far off?

According to meteorologist George Howard with the National Weather Service in Bellemont, monsoon season could begin in early July. In preparation, city officials are beginning efforts to mitigate potential dangers, such as flooding in the community.

How the monsoon will perform, Howard said, is anyone’s guess.

“Right now our sister agency at the Climate Prediction Center has published outlooks that expect our summertime monsoon to have equal chances to be dry, moist or close to average,” Howard said. “That’s not really helpful, but it is something that would probably indicate normal variability in our summertime monsoon.”

For the full story, see the Friday, June 15, edition of the Sedona Red Rock News.