Annual Weather SummaryNovember 2022 to October 2023. Source:Figure 1 from Erdei et al. By early to mid-September, wind patterns have generally reverted back to the westerly pattern, bringing an end to the monsoon. 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. While thats often the situation for the Indian monsoon, the monsoon in North America behaves a bit differently. The American Southwest, here defined as the area between 95W and 125W and 25N and 40N, 9 covers over four million square kilometers. In the late Ordovician (about 460 to 430 million years ago), the Earth fell into another brief but intense ice age. Glaciation in the Southern Hemisphere occurred during the late Devonian, while the supercontinent Gondwana was located over the South Pole, and intensified during the early Carboniferous. In southern New Mexico and Arizona, shallow marine deposits, laid down when the ice in Gondwana retreated and sea level rose, alternate with layers of dust blown in when the ice in Gondwana advanced and sea level fell. Its remnant exists today as the Great Salt Lake. Allmon, W. D., T. A. Smrecak, and R. M. Ross. Resilient Bermudagrass is widely used in the region, but sufficient watering is essential in the desert climate . The desert experiences large temperature extremes, especially between day and night; daily temperature may change as much as 15C (60F) during the driest parts of the year. Hailstones from a storm in Limon, Colorado, 2010. I did a quick comparison of the average JulyAugust rainfall in the monsoon region with the Nio-3.4 index, using 70 years of records. Thanks to the region's high temperatures and low precipitation levels from summer 2020 through summer 2021, the current drought has exceeded the severity of a late-1500s megadrought that previously had been identified by the same authors as the driest in 1,200 years. Large portions of the Southwest have experienced drought conditions since weekly Drought Monitor records began in 2000. Winds and waves shape the landscape, and rain showers support lush vegetation. Data: U.S. Energy Information Administration. Summer- The summer in the Southwest region is hot and desert-like. Although on the western edge of the North American Monsoon, California plant geography indicates it makes a large contribution to the states southern flora. This circulation brings thunderstorms and rainfall to the monsoon region, providing much of their annual total precipitation. Burning those fossil fuels releases carbon into the atmosphere, which warms the Earth. Kppen climate map of the 48 contiguous states of the continental United States. 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. Fossil mammals adapted to colder temperatures are found in the Pleistocene of Colorado. Image adapted from an image by Scenarios for Climate Assessment and Adaptation, first published in The Teacher-Friendly Guide to the Earth Science of the Southwestern US. Photo credits: 1916 photo from USGS (public domain), 2013 photo by daveynin (flickr,Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license, image resized). Changes include formatting and revisions to the text and images. Although there has so far been little regional change in the Southwests annual precipitation, the areas average precipitation is expected to decrease in the south and remain stable or increase in the north. Average temperatures found in the Southwest tend to decrease northward, which is largely the influence of latitude and elevation. All rights reserved. The coldest periods will be in late November, mid- and late December, and mid-January. During the Permian, shallow marine waters gave way to lowland coastal areas across portions of the Southwest. In 2000-2003, the combination of severe drought and unusually high temperatures led to a significant die-off of pion pines in the Four Corners region of the Southwest. 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. Bark beetles, which normally die in cold weather, have been able to survive through the winter and reproduce, increasing tree mortality. By 2070, one can expect up to 38 more days of freeze-free weather each year. Global temperatures fell further in the late Miocene thanks to the formation of the Himalayas. Stages in the formation of a thunderstorm. Photo by Richard Stephen Haynes (Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license, image resized). At this time, the Southwest was still submerged. An official website of the United States government. USA 107(50):2125621262. This may be due to the growth of solar energy, and voluntary commitments to reduce emissions made by large utility companies in the state. The Palmer Index is calculated from precipitation and temperature measurements at weather stations, and has been used widely for many years. Deer mice are the most important rodent carriers of hantavirus in the Southwest. As average temperatures rise and the Southwest becomes drier with a longer annual fire season (season conducive to the ignition and spread of wildfires), the number and intensity of wildfires is expected to increase. Maps showing the progressive closure of the Isthmus of Panama at 20 million years ago (A) and 15 million years ago (B). This page uses Google Analytics. Sand dunes started to become widespread. A crinoid (Ibexocrinus lepton) from the Ordovician Kanosh Shale, Millard County, Utah. 2021. Ill be back on my regular beat in a couple of weeks with the September ENSO update. Thanks for visiting the North American Monsoon region with me! The North American monsoon, variously known as the Southwest monsoon, the Mexican monsoon, the New Mexican monsoon, or the Arizona monsoon is a pattern of pronounced increase in thunderstorms and rainfall over large areas of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, typically occurring between June and mid-September.During the monsoon, thunderstorms are fueled by daytime heating . Right:Graph of the lake's changing level over time. Rainfall associated with the monsoon is very important for the region. | View Google Privacy Policy. On the other hand, there is not much agreement among projections for future change in the monsoon, except for regarding the timingmost projections suggest that, under continued climate change, the monsoon will start later in the summer and end later in the fall than it currently does (3). Maps modified from maps by Wade Greenberg-Brand, originally published inThe Teacher-Friendly Guide to the Earth Science of the SouthwesternUS, after figure 3 in L. Grande (2013) The Lost World of Fossil Lake. Topics covered on this page: Present climate of the southwestern U.S.; Present temperature; Present precipitation; Severe weather; Regional climate variation; Past climate of the southwestern U.S.; Paleozoic; Mesozoic; Cenozoic; Future climate of the southwestern U.S.; Resources. A deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) in Portal, Arizona, 2004. The better known of these wet seasons is the summer monsoon, which lasts from about mid-June to early September. 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. Accessed March 2021. https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/DmData/DataTables.aspx. Warmer temperatures also make it easier for insect pests to overwinter and produce more generations. 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. Extent of the Western Interior Seaway during the Cretaceous Period. Warm, moist air from the south occasionally but infrequently moves into Colorado during the summer. Photo by James St. John (flickr,Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license, image cropped and resized). 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. Hey! The Southwest has a very unique culture, climate, and geography. Thanks thats a big pool of warm water larger than the gulf of California and warmer than the greater Pacific Ocean. Roadcut exposing lake sediments of the Eocene Green River Formation, Duchesne County, Utah. There is some variability in the onset and demise of the monsoon. 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. It depends where you are! Figures 2 and 3 show two ways of measuring drought in the Southwest: the Drought Monitor and the Palmer Drought Severity Index. Photo of USNM P 38052 by Frederic Cochard (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, public domain). Cattle ranches throughout the southwestern states rely on rain-fed grazing forage, making them extremely susceptible to climate change and drought. During winter months, daytime temperatures may average 70 degrees F, with night temperatures often falling to freezing of slightly below in the lower desert valleys." Southwest Asia is a region of diverse climates and is generally divided into three main climate types: arid, semiarid, and temperate. North America and Europe are part of Laurasia, and South America and Africa are part of Gondwana. Introduction The overall climate of the Southwestits weather patterns over a long period of timetends to be warm and dry. Notice that North America has separated from Africa and there is a spreading center in the Central Atlantic Ocean. Famous sheriffs like Wyatt Earp and outlaws like Billy the . Higher atmospheric moisture content has also been correlated with an increased incidence of tornados and winter storms. At the close of the Mesozoic, global climatealthough warmer than todaywas cooler than at the start of the era. Has hurricanes and tornadoes. The event devastated the Southwest, shifting a densely forested landscape to one primarily covered with fast-growing herbs and ferns. The American Southwest might evoke images of a hot, dry landscapea land of rock, canyons, and deserts baked by the sun. Reconstruction created using basemap from the. Photo source:National Park Service (public domain). The warming conditions alone can be impactful, drying out soils quicker during breaks in monsoon rainfall, for example (2). The inset image is a shaded relief image that shows the edge of the crater on the Yucatn Peninsula with sinkholes in the rock surrounding it. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The Southwest is typically dry, hot, and humid. The long-range forecast team breaks down region by region what to expect during the summer. The oceans between Gondwana and North America began to close. Ornithopod-type tracks, Powell Fossil Track Block Tracksite, Jurassic Navajo Sandstone, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona and Utah. Raucous summer thunderstorms characteristic of the monsoon season are spotty, while drizzly winter storms last longer and engulf large portions of the region. Of the southwestern states, Arizona emits the most greenhouse gases, releasing 92.5 million metric tons of energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) in 2019. The monsoon's intensity waned by the early Jurassic, and the rivers and floodplains were replaced by even larger deserts. Data source: National Drought Mitigation Center, 20213Web update: April2021. Not really sure if it's possible to even find that rabbit hole let alone getting to the end of it :) Good luck. The southwestern desert is hot, with winter daytime temperatures in the lower 60s and average summer daytime temperatures between 105 and 115F. What is the weather like in the Southwest region in summer? Left:Lake Bonneville's maximal extent during the Pleistocene. 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 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. A strong temperature difference at different heights creates instability. :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/. At any rate I'd just like to point out a potential clue to your springtime predictability barrier problem. Andrews Glacier in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, at two points in time. During the Paleocene to Eocene, the Southwests climate was warm and wet, and large mammals roamed the forested landscape. Large portions of the Southwest have experienced drought conditions since weekly Drought Monitor records began in 2000. All rights reserved. The average amount of precipitation for the United States is 85.6 centimeters (33.7 inches). Photo by Center for Land Use Interpretation(Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 license, image resized). We are largely unaware of this precipitation because of the Southern California Chamber of Commerce and a lack of rain gauges. The final ingredient is wind. Digital Encyclopedia of Earth Science: Why talk about climate change? Earth 300 million years ago, during the end of the Carboniferous Period (Pennsylvanian). 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. The Southwest's overall average high temperature of 19.2C (66.6F) and average low of 2.8C (37.0F) are indicative of a varied climate, one much less uniform than that found in many other parts of the United States. Check out Toms recent post on the drought in Arizona to understand more about how drought works in this region. Pacific storms lose most of their moisture as they pass over the Rocky Mountains, so much of the Southwest's winter precipitation falls as snow within the areas mountainous regions. Cold continental conditions dominate the higher altitudes, especially within the Rocky Mountains. Agua Caliente solar farm, Maricopa County, Arizona. Higher elevations (such as those found in the Rockies and on the Colorado Plateau) are also cooler, with approximately a 1.5C (3F) decrease in mean annual temperature for each 300-meter (1000-foot) increase in elevation. 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. Thick salt deposits accumulated in the northwestern Four Corners area as the seas evaporated. 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. Declining water supplies, reduced agricultural yields, health impacts in cities due to heat, and flooding and erosion in coastal areas are additional concerns. The geography and climate of the southwestern U.S. east of the Rocky Mountains (in other words, in the Great Plains region in Colorado and New Mexico) are nearly ideal for their formation of thunderstorms and tornados, especially in the summer. After the end-Cretaceous bolide impact, the climate may have cooled briefly, but it soon rebounded to a warmer state. The monsoon starts to develop in Mexico in June, and moves into the U.S. Southwest in July. The summer precipitation total for the CONUS was 9.48 inches, 1.16 inch above average, ranking eighth wettest in the historical record. By the start of the Late Cretaceous, this inland sea, called the Western Interior Seaway, divided North America in two; the water was rich with mosasaurs, giant clams, and other marine life. Wetter-than-average monsoons (green dots) are slightly more common during La Nia years, while drier-than-average monsoons (brown dots) are slightly more common during El Nio years. Photo by James St. John (flickr,Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license, image cropped and resized). 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). Precipitation also varies widely. Layers of gypsum, an evaporate, from the Permian Castile Formation, Eddy County, New Mexico. . The rainy season would have been critical for Native Americans for thousands of years, and, for some Native American tribes, continues to be so. Left photoandright photoby NPS/Michael Quinn (Grand Canyon National Park via flickr,Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license, images cropped and resized). 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. Brown indicates where precipitation has been less than average; green is greater than average. Alaska weather and daylight varies wildly by region and season, from short-sleeves in summer to down jackets in winter; from 7 rainy days in May in Southcentral to 17 rainy days in the Inside Passage. The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report covers observed and potential future changes in the North American Monsoon. . Southwestern states are stepping up their use and production of renewable energy. 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. Some areas were more than 2F warmer than average (see Figure 1). He pointed out that ENSO does influence Pacific tropical storms, which can supply moisture to the monsoon. In fact, this monsoon may turn out to be the wettest on record for some places! This figure uses the U.S. Drought Monitor classification system, which is described in the table in the Droughtindicator. Photo by Gregory Smith (flickr, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license, image cropped and resized). During winter months, daytime temperatures may average 70 degrees F, with night temperatures often falling to freezing of slightly below in the lower desert valleys." 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. Onion Creek salt diapir, a salt dome exposed at the surface at Fisher Towers, Utah. Nighttime winter temperatures in the desert can drop slightly below freezing. It is the largest wildfire that New Mexico has ever witnessed. Brown indicates areas where experts forecast drought will persist or worsen. Photo by James St. John (flickr, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license). Also extreme dryness which means days & weeks on end without rain. Wind moves the air, promoting mixing. Also, these favourable weather conditions usually occur more. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. 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. Left photoandright photofrom NPS, courtesy David Bustos (public domain). Dry air is shown in orange. Extreme high temperatures. Later in the Jurassic, the climate became more moderate; dune fields were replaced by rivers and floodplains populated by a rich dinosaur fauna (exemplified by the Morrison Formation) and large trees along rivers, streams, and grasslands. The average annual temperature in most of the Southwest is predicted to rise 2.2 to 5.5C (4 to 10F) by 2100. Fossils of a cycad (Dioonopsis praespinulosa) from the Paleocene Castle Rock Flora, Colorado. 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. Photo of USNM PAL 165239 by Crinoid Type Project (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, public domain). The North American Monsoon is a seasonal change in the atmospheric circulation that occurs as the summer sun heats the continental land mass.

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