Two perspectives

Winter storms in the desert can produce dramatic combinations of cloud and light, as in this scene looking southwest from our site at Gilbert Ray Campground in Tucson Mountain Park. But the low overnight temperatures (mid-20s) accompanying the same weather system threatened some non-native plants at nearby Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. Late in the afternoon the staff placed cups on the sensitive tops of these cacti, found mostly in Mexico. Larger plants were covered with bags. The scene made parts of the museum grounds look as if pranksters had gone on a rampage. Local plants, according to the museum staff, can survive temperatures down to 5 degrees. The record low in the area was 6 degrees, set in January 1913.