You exit the airport after landing in Arizona and notice you are hot, in fact, you are really hot. It is so hot you can already feel the effects of "swamp ass" and your mouth is as dry as Marco Rubio's during that Cottonmouth situation. 

Whether you have been an Arizonian for years, or just arrived for college as a freshman, you have come across the cliche phrase, "it's a dry heat," and you've heard the stories of random rain and dust storms that hit at unexpected times. Although it is hot, there is a lot more to the weather in Arizona than you may think.

Believe it or not, it does rain in the desert. And, when it does rain, it can pour so much it can seem like the end of the world. This is known as monsoon season. The term, "monsoon," comes from the Arabic, "mausim," meaning season or wind shift. It ranges from mid-June to the end of September. During this time, you can have perfect 80 degree days filled with sunshine, and then have them quickly turn to monstrous storms with the sky turning completely black.

Contrary to common belief,  it's not always hot. Although it seems like the heat is never ending, it will cease, at least for a couple of months. Starting in November, the temperatures begin to lower, and it has been known to snow during the winter months. Just ask some seniors about the time we had a marvelous inch of snow on campus. 

Arizona has something called sky islands, which are mountains surrounded by lowlands and, because of this, the temperatures are dramatically lower at the top. You can find yourself at the top of Mt. Lemmon, located in Tucson, in 60 degree weather with coniferous trees around you, while down in the lowlands it is still hot as hell.

Arizona is not a God-forsaken place. Although you may think living in this environment will make anything and everything spontaneously combust, there is a variety of flora and fauna ranging from species of cactus and scorpions to many beautiful species Take a good look around -- you might be surprised.  

So, the next time a friend or a relative comes to visit you in the desert, and they complain of the heat, simply tell them the different side of the desert that they don't know about. Don't forget to mention, with a cheesy smile, that "it's just a dry heat."