In the podcast episode 2021a generational monsoon? Zack listed some of the factors that influence how much moisture is available to the monsoon, including the position of the high-pressure area, wind patterns, and transient weather features. For example, high winter temperatures between 2000 and 2003 correlated to bark beetle outbreaks that devastated pinyon pine throughout the Southwest, leading to nearly 90% mortality at some sites in Colorado and Arizona. Unless otherwise indicated, text and images on this website have Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International licenses. There is also an important relationship between rainfall and temperature: usually, more rain leads to cooler conditions, and less rain leads to hotter conditions. In general, places in the east and south of the UK tend to be drier, warmer, sunnier and less windy than those further west and north. The population of any industrialized and particularly wealthy country produces pollution; the majority of these emissions come from the use of petroleum. See the Drought indicator for more information about these indices. Record high temperatures for the Southwest range from 53C (128F) in Arizona to 47C (117F) in Utah, while record low temperatures range from 56C (69F) in Utah to 40C (40F) in Arizona. For example, parts of the Colorado Rockies experience cool annual temperatures and over 8 meters (25 feet) of snowfall every year, while the dry deserts in southwestern Arizona receive only about 8 centimeters (3 inches) of precipitation a year and can experience as much as a 15C (60F) degree temperature difference between night and day. Kppen climate map of the 48 contiguous states of the continental United States. In winter, daily temperatures in the southwest are cooler with highs in the 50s and 60s F, and lows in . For temperature, the 2020 monsoon was the hottest on record for the Southwest with an average temperature of 77.1 F, significantly beating the previous record of 76.8 F in 2011 (average is 74.3 F). The onset of stream flows from melting snow in Colorado has shifted two weeks earlier due to warming spring temperatures. Map by NOAA(public domain) modified for the[emailprotected]project. A= Tropical (equatorial),B= Arid,C= Temperate (warm temperate),D= Continental (cold),E= polar. The strengthened Gulf Stream carried more warm, moist air with it into the northern Atlantic, which caused increased snowfall in high latitudes, leading to accelerating cooling. By the end of the Permian, the southern ice sheets had disappeared. Wind moves the air, promoting mixing. As of 2010, bark beetles in Arizona and New Mexico have affected more than twice the forest area burned by wildfires in those states. Natural variability, changes in irrigation practices, and other diversions of water for human use can influence certain drought-related measurements. Figures 2 and 3 show two ways of measuring drought in the Southwest: the Drought Monitor and the Palmer Drought Severity Index.
A Closer Look: Temperature and Drought in the Southwest Hailstones from a storm in Limon, Colorado, 2010. Its remnant exists today as the Great Salt Lake. The more than 16 million residents of the Southwest use carbon-rich fossil fuels to provide electricity for lighting, cooling, and appliances, to fuel their transportation and industry, and to make the products they use. Snowfall will be below normal in most areas that normally receive snow, with the snowiest periods in early to mid-January and early February. Smog (haze caused by air pollution) over Salt Lake City, Utah, 2016. An official website of the United States government. This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (ARPML-250637-OMLS-22).The views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this website do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Southwestern states are stepping up their use and production of renewable energy. Arizona's highest elevations receive an average of 65 to 76 centimeters (25 to 30 inches), with lower areas in the states southwestern portion averaging less than 8 centimeters (3 inches). In the middle Cretaceous, oceans covered most of the Southwest, with the exception of parts of Arizona and New Mexico. NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin (NASA Earth Observatory,used following NASA's image use policy). In the Southwest, climate change may impact a variety of resources, including water availability in the form of snowpack and spring streamflow, the distribution and composition of plant communities, and fire regimes. Not really sure if it's possible to even find that rabbit hole let alone getting to the end of it :) Good luck. 2021. 830 AM EST Thu Feb 16 2023. Satellite photo showing smoke from the Calf Canyon-Hermit Creek Fire on May 10, 2022. Some areas were more than2F warmer than average (see Figure 1). A blog about monitoring and forecasting El Nio, La Nia, and their impacts. Reconstruction created usingPaleomap(by C. Scotese) forGPlates. NWS Climate Prediction Center College Park MD. Modified fromFigure 11 in Kirby et al. Photo by Santa Fe National Forest (National Interagency Fire Center on flickr, public domain). The new dry-land isthmus blocked the warm ocean currents that had been flowing east-to-west from the Atlantic to the Pacific for more than 100 million years, diverting them into the Gulf of Mexico and ultimately into the western Atlantic Gulf Stream. By 2070, one can expect up to 38 more days of freeze-free weather each year. 2021. Recent warming within the Southwest has been among the most rapid in the United States, and models predict that the area's climate will continue to warm. The climate was drier than that of the Carboniferous, and mudflats with salt and gypsum formed across the Southwestern states. Dry conditions are common throughout the Great Plains, Colorado Plateau, and Basin and Range. Extent of the Western Interior Seaway during the Cretaceous Period. Scientists first noted the seasonal rainfall patterns in the Southwest in the early 20th century, with the circulation pattern being understood as monsoonal by midcentury. Soil moisture, ground water, and streamflow are part of Drought Monitor calculations (Figure 2), and they are all sensitive to human activities. (2) In fact, comparing 1955, a year with very similar total rainfall in Tucson as this year, to this year shows temperature between July 1 and August 23 were on average more than 2 degrees F warmer. The formation of precipitation also causes electrical charging of particles in the atmosphere, which in turn produces lightning. The Wave, a series of intersecting U-shaped troughs eroded into Jurassic NavajoSandstone within the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona. Likewise, its not yet clear how the monsoon is changing in the warming climate, or how it will in the future. Climate models project a significant increase in the number of days over 95F per year across the Southeast. Cattle ranches throughout the southwestern states rely on rain-fed grazing forage, making them extremely susceptible to climate change and drought. Shallow seas invaded the continent, ultimately covering the whole area until the late Carboniferous. Submitted by rebecca.lindsey on Thu, 09/30/2021 - 10:14. Regarding changes that have already occurred, the report finds modest evidence that the monsoon rainfall has intensified since the 1970s, and this has been partly attributed to greenhouse gas emissions. Photo by Lane Pearman (flickr, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license, image cropped and resized). Average annual temperatures for the southwestern U.S. Because warm air can hold more moisture than cool air can, convective mixing with cool air forces moisture to condense out of warm air as vapor (clouds) and precipitation. Volcanic activity intensified in the Southwest, and the Basin and Range region began to form, leading to the topography that is seen in those areas today (i.e., low valleys alternating with high mountain ranges). Photo of USNM 166396 from the Cretaceous Atlas of Ancient Life(Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license, image cropped). Other elements involved in the ignition and growth of fires and the risks they pose to people living in the Southwest include (but are not limited to) forest management practices, development patterns, and human behavior (intentionally or unintentionally starting fires). Lake Powell, the lake created by Glen Canyon Dam, at two points in time about four years apart. The causes of specific weather events such as tornados and severe thunderstorms are incredibly complex, although climate change has enhanced some correlated factors, such as increased wind speed and an unstable atmosphere. During much of the year, the prevailing wind over northwestern Mexico, Arizona, and New Mexico is westerly (blowing from the west) and dry. Eventually, a sheet of sea ice formed over the Arctic, and ice sheets spread over northern Asia, Europe, and North America, signaling the start of the most recent ice age. Data from the Northeast Regional Climate Center Applied Climate Information System; 2079-2099 image shows the weighted mean of downscaled CMIP5 models in the LOCA dataset. Yet this landscape actually supports a vast array of plants and animals, along with millions of people who call the Southwest home. Some areas were more than 2F warmer than average (see Figure 1).
Climate Of The Southwest - The Southwest Region Typically, a storm blows itself out once the warm air has moved up and the cool air has moved down. Precipitation has become more variable from year to year, and heavy downpours across the U.S. have increased in the last 20 years. While the state is generally arid, its high western mountains experience more precipitation each year than the desert southwest and the high northeastern plateau do. Although there has been a fair amount of research into the monsoon, there are still far more questions than answers about how it works, and if the seasonal amount of rain, potential start date, or other characteristics can be predicted. The globe about 485 million years ago, near the Cambrian-Ordovician boundary. Annual Weather SummaryNovember 2022 to October 2023. Despite the monsoon rainfall this year, much of the region is still in a precipitation deficit. contiguous U.S. (CONUS) into the Northern Plains. Precipitation forms. Photo by James Bo Insogna. The main features that influence the areas climate are latitude, regional topography, and a low atmospheric moisture content that leads to quick evaporation. This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (ARPML-250637-OMLS-22).The views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this website do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. February 2023 ENSO update: the ENSO Blog investigates, part 3, How the pattern of trends across the tropical Pacific Ocean is critical for understanding the future climate, January 2023 La Nia update, and the ENSO Blog investigates, part 2, Albuquerque, NM National Weather Service office, ENSO does influence Pacific tropical storms, Tucson recorded its wettest month ever this July, Monsoon causes deadly flash flood in Arizona, Images of CO2 emissions and transport from the Vulcan project, TreeFlow: Streamflow Reconstructions from Tree Rings. Data: U.S. Energy Information Administration. Las Cruces is located in the Basin and Range region of New Mexico. Agua Caliente solar farm, Maricopa County, Arizona. This may be due to the growth of solar energy, and voluntary commitments to reduce emissions made by large utility companies in the state. Photo by Bigmikebmw (Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license, image cropped).
August 2022 U.S. Climate Outlook: a wet Southwest - NOAA Climate.gov The map in Figure 1 shows how average annual temperatures in the Southwest from 2000 to 2020differed from the average over the entire period since widespread temperature records became available (18952020). [7] Pion pines are very drought tolerant and have survived dry periods in the past. It's made up of the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Funnel clouds (developing tornadoes) over El Paso County, Colorado, March 29, 2019. Sun and storm in Weld County, in the Great Plains region of Colorado, 2015. For example, the difference in annual mean temperature between Pikes Peak (4302 meters or 14,114 feet) and Las Animas (1188 meters or 3898 feet), only 145 kilometers (90 miles) to the southeast, is equivalent to that between Iceland and southern Florida! One controversial hypothesis proposes that an area of western Coloradoone of the islands that dotted the early Carboniferous seawas, in fact, glaciated. Allmon, W. D., T. A. Smrecak, and R. M. Ross.
Megadrought in Southwest Is Now the Worst in at Least 1,200 Years Loess is often, though not exclusively, associated with dry areas around glaciers. However, the Southwest is located between the mid-latitude and subtropical atmospheric circulation regimes, and this positioning relative to shifts in these . The reasons for this are complex and involve a combination factors. Cold continental conditions dominate the higher altitudes, especially within the Rocky Mountains.
2020 Monsoon Review - National Weather Service Because higher temperatures mean greater evaporation and warmer air can hold more water, precipitation will occur in greater amounts at a time, but less frequently. Thus, even a small increase in temperature (which drives evaporation) or a decrease in precipitation in this already arid region can seriously threaten natural systems and society. A value between -2 and -3 indicates moderate drought, -3 to -4 is severe drought, and -4 or below indicates extreme drought. Photo of USNM PAL 165239 by Crinoid Type Project (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, public domain). (2019)Biology Letters15: 20190114(Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, images cropped, reconfigured, resized, and relabeled). Approximately 3.5 million years ago, glacial ice began to form over the Arctic Ocean and on the northern parts of North America and Eurasia. Pleistocene Lake Bonneville. Data for Figures 1 and 3 were obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations National Centers for Environmental Information, which maintains a large collection of climate data online at: www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag. At the very end of the Cretaceous, the Gulf Coast experienced an enormous disruption when a large asteroid or bolide collided with Earth in what is now the northern Yucatn Peninsula in Mexico. Data source: NOAA, 20212Web update: April2021. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Cumbres in the San Juan Mountains receives nearly 7.6 meters (300 inches) of snowfall annually, while Manassa, less than 50 kilometers (30 miles) away in the San Luis Valley, receives only about 63 centimeters (25 inches) of snow a year. The highest point in these mountains has a relief of 1572 meters (5157 feet) over the surrounding landscape, and the mountains are tall enough to receive snowfall.
SW Temperature | CLIMAS Map of the modern Yucatn Peninsula region showing the location of the Chicxulub impact crater. Official websites use .gov Also, these favourable weather conditions usually occur more. Data from Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) and ERSSTv5.
Climate change and drought in the American Southwest Storms form when there is strong convection in the atmosphere. Winter is the driest season in New Mexico, because precipitation from eastward-traveling Pacific storms is left behind in the western mountains of Arizona and Utah. Summer temperatures in this region rarely rise above 60 F during the day, while winter temperatures hover around 30 F due to the temperate . Source:FEMA National Risk Index. The impact vaporized both water and rock, blocking out sunlight for weeks to years, which led to a collapse of photosynthesis and food webs on land and in the oceans. The intensification recorded since about the 1970s has been partly driven by greenhouse gas emissions (medium confidence). In 8.4, What are the projected water cycle changes?, the summary statement is there is low agreement on a projected decrease of NAmerM precipitation, however there is high confidence in delayed onsets and demises of the summer monsoon.. Arizona monsoon cloud with lightning striking the beautiful Sonoran desert in North Scottsdale. While thats often the situation for the Indian monsoon, the monsoon in North America behaves a bit differently. The monsoon's intensity waned by the early Jurassic, and the rivers and floodplains were replaced by even larger deserts. The Southwest, already the driest region in the United States, has become even drier since the mid-20th century, particularly on the hottest days . A shift in plant type to those better adapted to drier conditions further suggests a change in climate during the Permian. Glaciers covered most of the world's southern landmasses, which were located over the South Pole. The Southwest relies on the slow melt of mountain snowpack throughout the spring and summer, when water demands are highest. Skeleton of a juvenileCamarosaurs lentus, a type of sauropod, from the Carnegie Quarry, Jurassic Morrison Formation, Dinosaur National Monument, Utah and Colorado. Calf Canyon-Hermit Creek Fire near Holman, New Mexico, on May 8, 2022. All of these plants, animals, and people need water to survive. A couple of field campaigns, including the Arizona-based South-West Monsoon Project (SWAMP, 1993) and the international North American Monsoon Experiment (NAME, 2004), provided a lot of observational data and resulted in a better understanding of the mechanics of the monsoon. Bear Lake and Glacier Gorge, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, 2011. Climate change in the Southwest The global rise in temperatures will affect different locations on earth in unique ways. (2011)PLoS ONE3(7): e2791(Creative Commons Attribution license, image reorganized and resized). The location of the Southwest and the topographical extremes across this area strongly influence its weather. As the Triassic period began, the Southwest moved north from the equator. Photo by Gregory Smith (flickr, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license, image cropped and resized). These warmer temperatures and increased precipitation have helped bring on longer growing seasons. Water is already scarce in the Southwest, so every drop is a precious resource. The state's mountainous areas, however, have climate characteristics that more closely follow those found in the Colorado Rockies. Some earlier studies suggested that El Nio may be related to lower JulyAugust rainfall, and La Nia related to higher rainfall, due to large-scale atmospheric circulation changes. This page uses Google Analytics.
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