Rain in Lubbock smells different.

In larger cities, people describe the smell of rain as "fresh" or "clean," but in West Texas, rain has a more complex aroma. Dirt, asphalt, electricity, old fences, wet cotton fields, and a little nostalgia, all at the same time.

And, if you grew up here, you know the smell hits almost immediately, even before the rain starts. The air changes, the wind gets cooler, the sky turns a weird green-gray color, and then the whole city smells like somebody sprayed water on a giant clay flowerpot.

There's actually a scientific word for the smell: petrichor. 

It's caused when rain hits dry soil and releases compounds and oils into the air.

So, Lubbock basically becomes a giant scented candle after the storm, just not the kind you'll find on store shelves.

I think most of us really like the smell. In fact, I don't think I've ever heard anyone complain about it. We associate it with summer storms rolling in, sitting in the garage, and listening to the rain hit the roof as kids, or the beginning of football season. Rain to us is always a good thing, so it's hard to fathom anyone hating on it, even if it had a weird smell.

READ MORE: What Does Being ‘Lubbock Rich’ Really Mean?

The smell of rain in Lubbock reminds me of picking snails out of my grandpa's ivy garden. He didn't care what I did with them as long as I got them out of the ivy. The snails, of course, became my friends, as I never had the heart to throw them into the street as he did. I carried them all over town in a jar, and I always knew it was time to go looking for them when I smelled rain in the air.

What does the smell of a Lubbock storm remind you of?

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