Zack and Mike described this years monsoon for southern Arizona as generational, meaning once in a generation. Cycads are a group of seed plants that look superficially similar to palms, but are not closely related to them and do not produce flowers. Page snapshot:Introduction to the climate of the southwestern United States, including present, past, and future climate. In New Mexico, climate is characterized by arid, semiarid, or continental conditions, with light precipitation, low humidity, and abundant sunshine. It smoldered beneath the ground as a dormant holdover, sleeper, or zombie fire until April, when it flared up and grew into a wildfire, an almost unprecedented occurrence in the Southwest. Forecasts had all of this widespread flash flooding. Left:Lake Bonneville's maximal extent during the Pleistocene. Raucous summer thunderstorms characteristic of the monsoon season are spotty, while drizzly winter storms last longer and engulf large portions of the region. Lake Powell, the lake created by Glen Canyon Dam, at two points in time about four years apart. Moving westward, Colorado's foothills and mountainous areas experience an overall cooler climate and higher levels of precipitation. Thus, each Southwestern state experiences both extreme highs and lows. Submitted by rebecca.lindsey on Thu, 09/30/2021 - 10:13. Mesohippusmeasured up to 70 centimeters (2 feet) at shoulder height. Winter- The winter in the Southwest region is mild, and hot. This figure uses the U.S. Drought Monitor classification system, which is described in the table in the Droughtindicator. This section covers the climate of the southwestern U.S. through the Phanerozoic, from about 541 million years ago to the recent. As in Arizona, the desert experiences a large range of temperature on a daily basis. [7] Pion pines are very drought tolerant and have survived dry periods in the past. Photo by Bigmikebmw (Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license, image cropped). 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. Ive summarized their conclusions above, and include the quotes here, but I suggest you head over to the full science report if youre in the mood for some specifics. SW Precipitation Precipitation in the Southwest has two distinct seasons. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. By comparison, the average high and low temperatures for the entire United States are 17C (63F) and 5C (41F), respectively. Southwestern states are stepping up their use and production of renewable energy. Light precipitation travels eastward over the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains after dropping heavy snowfall in areas of high elevation. Ornithopod-type tracks, Powell Fossil Track Block Tracksite, Jurassic Navajo Sandstone, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona and Utah. Its largely too soon to tell. Despite the monsoon rainfall this year, much of the region is still in a precipitation deficit. Wildfire risk map for the United States. Accessed March2021. www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag. The Southwest is typically dry, hot, and humid. Lower latitudes receive more heat from the sun over the course of a year; for each degree increase in latitude, there is approximately a 1C (2F) decrease in temperature. Figure by Emily Becker. 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. Colorado has a generally cool and continental climate with low humidity. The large ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere did not extend into the Southwest, even at their maximum area. Monsoon region averaged over all land gridpoints, 20N37N, 102W115W. Spring- The spring in the Southwest region is cool. However, while the effect of warming on the storms is uncertain, temperatures have been increasing. 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. Summer rains fall almost entirely during brief but intense thunderstorms on the Great Plains, although the occasional hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico may push heavier precipitation inland. Fossils of a cycad (Dioonopsis praespinulosa) from the Paleocene Castle Rock Flora, Colorado. As the continents moved closer to their modern positions, the Southwest experienced a hot and humid tropical climate. The white arrow is pointing to one of the leaflets of a compound leaf. Bear Lake and Glacier Gorge, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, 2011. 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). Right: As the vertical column of air turns over, with warm air at the top and cool air at the bottom, the storm begins to dissipate. Increased heat in the Pacific Ocean has altered the weather patterns of Pacific storms, decreasing snowfall in the mountains of western Utah and Arizona. Convection occurs when buoyant warm air rises (moves up) while denser cool air sinks (moves down). Winds and waves shape the landscape, and rain showers support lush vegetation. The continued growth of Pangaea created an intense monsoonal climate, similar to that of Asia today, that affected large parts of the continent. Average annual temperatures for the southwestern U.S. 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. A value between -2 and -3 indicates moderate drought, -3 to -4 is severe drought, and -4 or below indicates extreme drought. Saguaro and cholla cacti in the Sonoran Desert National Monument, Arizona. Photo by Archaeopoda (Wikimedia Commons,Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license, image cropped, resized, and labeled). Today, most of the Southwest experiences about 17 fewer freezing days than it did over the last century. 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! Elevation does, however, play a key role in precipitation received throughout the Southwest. Maps showing the progressive closure of the Isthmus of Panama at 20 million years ago (A) and 15 million years ago (B). In addition, temperature increases and recent drought have resulted in earlier spring snowmelt and decreased snow cover on the lower slopes of high mountains, bringing about more rapid runoff and increased flooding. 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. In winter, rising temperatures have increased the number of frost-free days. Agriculture accounts for more than half of the Southwests water use, so any major reduction in the availability of water resources will create a serious strain on ecosystems and populations. The March-April-May (MAM) 2023 temperature outlook favors below-normal. Deer mice are the most important rodent carriers of hantavirus in the Southwest. 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. Summer temperatures on the South Rim, at 7000 feet (2134 meters), are especially pleasant from 50 to about 85 F (10s to 20s C). (1) The North American Monsoon, published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society by David Adams and Andrew Comrie, provides a comprehensive overview of the North American Monsoon and related research through the late 20th century. Precipitation forms. Convective mixing stops because the vertical column of air has turned over so that the cool air is at the bottom and the warm air is at the top. 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. The formation of precipitation also causes electrical charging of particles in the atmosphere, which in turn produces lightning. Most models predict a decrease in winter and spring precipitation by the middle of the century, and more frequent precipitation extremes during the last half of the century. Extensive Permian deposits throughout the Southwest are home to a host of fossils, including terrestrial amphibians, reptiles, and synapsids. An ancient horse (Mesohippus),Eocene Florissant Fossil Beds, Teller County, Colorado. In New Mexico, for example, average annual precipitation ranges from less than 25 centimeters (10 inches) within the Great Plains and Basin and Range regions to more than 50 centimeters (20 inches) at the higher elevations to the northwest. The elevation of Bear Lake is about 2880 meters (9450 feet). 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). Streamflow totals for the decade of 2001-2010 in the Great Basin, Rio Grande, and Colorado River were between 5% and 37% lower than their 20. Time-series graph of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions from southwestern states, showing rising emissions from 1970 to around 2008, followed by a decreasing trend from 2008 to 2019. Extent of the Western Interior Seaway during the Cretaceous Period. Moisture condenses out of the warm air as it comes into contact with cool air, forming clouds. Storms form when there is strong convection in the atmosphere. Satellite photo showing smoke from the Calf Canyon-Hermit Creek Fire on May 10, 2022. 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 American Southwest, here defined as the area between 95W and 125W and 25N and 40N, 9 covers over four million square kilometers. Although on the western edge of the North American Monsoon, California plant geography indicates it makes a large contribution to the states southern flora. 1. Photo by Eltiempo10 (Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license, image resized). There were spots that received large amounts of rain, but overall Nora was a bust. The coldest periods will be in late November, mid- and late December, and mid-January. The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report covers observed and potential future changes in the North American Monsoon. Average is based on 19792020 using CPC Unified data. A major contributing factor to this event was a geological change that occurred far to the south. With the start of the Paleozoic era, climates across the world were warm, and North America was located in the low and warmer latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere. Accessed March 2021. www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag. The thicker line is a nine-year weighted average. Home Regions Southwest Key Points: Large lakes covered parts of northern Utah and Colorado. Arizona monsoon cloud with lightning striking the beautiful Sonoran desert in North Scottsdale. Lake Mead, the lake created by the Hoover Dam, at two points in time about 21 years apart. 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). Precipitation, while sparse, peaks in the summer during the monsoonal storms, and again in the winter from storms originating in the Pacific Ocean. The Southwest contributes significantly to climate change. The Southwest has a hot desert climate, at lower elevations. Scale bar = 1 centimeter (about 0.4 inches). Cities like Phoenix, Las Vegas, Yuma, and Palm Springs have average highs over 100 F (38 C) during the summer months and lows in the 70s or even 80s. North America and Europe are part of Laurasia, and South America and Africa are part of Gondwana. Percent of total annual precipitation occurring during JulySeptember, based on 19792020 using CPC Unified rain-gauge-based data. 2010. Skeleton of a juvenileCamarosaurs lentus, a type of sauropod, from the Carnegie Quarry, Jurassic Morrison Formation, Dinosaur National Monument, Utah and Colorado. In the middle Cretaceous, oceans covered most of the Southwest, with the exception of parts of Arizona and New Mexico. . Northwestern Mexico receives upwards of 75% of its average annual precipitation from it, and Arizona and New Mexico more than 50%, during JulySeptember. By the late Carboniferous, North America had collided with Gondwana, leading to the formation of Pangaeaa supercontinent composed of nearly all the landmass on Earth. Hey! Shallow seas invaded the continent, ultimately covering the whole area until the late Carboniferous. 3. This fire, which started as two separate fires that merged, began in April 2022 and has since burned more than 138,000 hectares (340,000 acres) of land and over 300 homes. Answer: Winter, June, July, and August. Data source: NOAA, 20212Web update: April2021. Shallow seaways spread over many of the continents, including South America, Africa, Eurasia, and North America. Source:Figure 1 from Erdei et al. 2021. 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). Some areas were more than 2F warmer than average (see Figure 1). Famous sheriffs like Wyatt Earp and outlaws like Billy the . There is a rich marine fossil record from the areas between these islands. North America's position near the equator kept its climate relatively warm. Regional overview Southwest. Monsoon rainfall activity tends to be grouped into bursts, with periods of rainy days interspersed with drier periods, rather than rain every day. Average yearly tornado watches in each county of the United States between 1993 and 2012. Convective mixing forces the moisture in warm air to condense as it comes into contact with cool air, forming vapor (clouds) and precipitation (for example, rain or hail). Resilient Bermudagrass is widely used in the region, but sufficient watering is essential in the desert climate . The warmer the air near the surface is relative to the air above it, the more potential energy it has to move up. However, although climate change is predicted to enhance the intensity of severe weather, there is currently no way to calculate what effect climate change will have on the frequency of specific storm eventsfor example, we might see more powerful tornados, but we do not know if we will see more of them. contiguous U.S. (CONUS) into the Northern Plains. A= Tropical (equatorial),B= Arid,C= Temperate (warm temperate),D= Continental (cold),E= polar. By 2070, one can expect up to 38 more days of freeze-free weather each year. In New Mexico, for example, the average difference between the daily high and low temperatures ranges from 14 to 19C (25 to 35F). Although much of the Southwest falls within the category of an arid zone, using a single label to describe the Southwest's climate would belie its diversity. What is the weather like in the Southwest region in summer? Photo by Gregory Smith (flickr, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license, image cropped and resized). Photo by Daniel Mayer (Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license, image resized). Temperatures in the southwest region average greater than states up North, because there isn't as much water vapor in upper level winds to screen direct sunlight. Also found are a number of tree species with a disjunct distribution. Much of the Southwest became an archipelago of warm shallow seaways and uplifted islands, with terrestrial swampy forests and shallow sea floors populated by bivalves, brachiopods, arthropods, corals, and fish. 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. The Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson, Arizona are surrounded desert in which saguaro cacti grow. The formation of precipitation also causes electrical charging of particles in the atmosphere, which in turn produces lightning. Warm, moist air from the south occasionally but infrequently moves into Colorado during the summer. The distance between Santa Fe and Las Vegas, New Mexico, is about 65 kilometers (about 40.5 miles). Onion Creek salt diapir, a salt dome exposed at the surface at Fisher Towers, Utah. Yet this landscape actually supports a vast array of plants and animals, along with millions of people who call the Southwest home. Taken on August 15, 2016. Studies show that the southwestern states' climate is changing right now and that change has accelerated in the latter part of the 20th century. The monsoon starts to develop in Mexico in June, and moves into the U.S. Southwest in July. Notice that North America has separated from Africa and there is a spreading center in the Central Atlantic Ocean. Data from Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) and ERSSTv5. The full time series for precipitation and temperature values is shown in Figure 2. The rainy season would have been critical for Native Americans for thousands of years, and, for some Native American tribes, continues to be so. Ideas and explanations found in these posts should be attributed to the ENSO blog team, and not to NOAA (the agency) itself. Summer temperatures in this region rarely rise above 60 F during the day, while winter temperatures hover around 30 F due to the temperate . :https://earthathome.org/de/what-is-climate/, Digital Encyclopedia of Earth Science: Evidence for and causes of recent climate change:https://earthathome.org/de/recent-climate-change/, Digital Encyclopedia of Earth Science: Climate change mitigation: https://earthathome.org/de/climate-change-mitigation/, Digital Encyclopedia of Earth Science: Climate change adaptation: https://earthathome.org/de/climate-change-adaptation/, [emailprotected]: Quick guides & FAQ: Climate and Energy:https://earthathome.org/quick-faqs/#climate, [emailprotected]: Here on Earth: Introduction to Climate: https://earthathome.org/hoe/climate/. Did La Nia drench the Southwest United States in early winter 2022/23? PRI is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Photo by James St. John (flickr, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license, image resized). Data: U.S. Energy Information Administration. Some areas were more than2F warmer than average (see Figure 1). During much of the year, the prevailing wind over northwestern Mexico, Arizona, and New Mexico is westerly (blowing from the west) and dry. The globe about 485 million years ago, near the Cambrian-Ordovician boundary. Likewise, its not yet clear how the monsoon is changing in the warming climate, or how it will in the future. Cambrian trilobites from the Bright Angel Shale (Tonto Group), Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Note that the southwestern region of the U.S. is covered by a shallow sea.

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