On the edge

This old pine knows what it is to live on the edge. Surprisingly, the Grand Canyon is not known for violent weather, but it does get very cold, very hot, and there are winds most of the year. When the storms do come, they sweep through before moving on the do damage in the Midwest. Compared to other parts of the state, the Canyon is not particularly windy with an average annual wind speed of about 6.4 mph. Of all the weather conditions, the heat is the worst. At the bottom of the Canyon in the Summer, daytime temperatures are often over 100 degrees F. (38 degrees C.). It is important to remember that the Canyon is in the middle of a vast desert, but the high plateau on the north and south of the Canyon get more rainfall than the surrounding areas. The average rain fall on the Rims of the Canyon is about 16.5 inches a year.