18th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Summer Storm on a back country road in Arizona

Arizona is known for its violent monsoon, which tears open the heavens every summer and unleashes torrents of rain punctuated (loudly) with lightning. 2019, however, was fondly dubbed the 'nonsoon' due to the lack of storm activity. This was the first "real" monsoon in two years and it's almost as if the skies were saving up electricity. This is just one of hundreds of lightning shots captured this same evening.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 08.2020
Date Uploaded: 08.2020
Photo Location: Peoria, Arizona, United States of America
Copyright: © Ed Mitchell