CLIMAS - Southwest Climate Podcast

Recorded 8/16//2024

Aired 8/20/2024

Now that we are over halfway through the 2024 monsoon season, this month’s Southwest Climate Podcast hosts Zack Guido and Mike Crimmins don their chef hats and lay out the main ingredients of the monsoon.  They give a recap of recent rain events, answer the question of whether or not the characteristics of convective storm dynamics have changed, and offer their thoughts on what is on the horizon for September.  Great timing as 8/31 is your last chance to join in the Southwest Monsoon Fantasy Forecasts game this year!    

Mentions:

RainLog

“Understanding the Dominant Sources and Tracks of Moisture for Summer Rainfall in the Southwest United States”

NWS - Tucson: Monsoon Tracker

Southwest U.S. Summer Monsoon Season Precipitation Mapping

"Intensification of the North American Monsoon Rainfall as Observed From a Long-Term High-Density Gauge Network"

"Observed humidity trends in dry regions contradict climate models"

NWS - Climate Prediction Center: Outlooks

Southwest Monsoon Fantasy Forecasts Game

AZ Central “Why is the monsoon so unpredictable? It takes a lot to make a good thunderstorm”

Recorded 7/19/2024

Aired 7/23/2024

Get ready for a big episode day as this month’s Southwest Climate Podcast hosts Zack Guido and Mike Crimmins kick off the monsoon season.  The crew cover the evolution of the current monsoon phases from onset to where we are today with stats and analysis.  And there is even a bit of a philosophical introspection on the data and sources (do you believe?).  Your hosts share what they have learned along the way - but stick around to the end to get their hot take on what is coming next.  

Also - It’s not too late to sign up for the Southwest Monsoon Fantasy Forecast Game as there are monthly prizes this year!

Mentions:

Arizona Institute of Resilience - Power Forecasting Group

 - Monsoon Forecasting Discussion Blog 

 - Contact to get on mailing list = Patrick Bunn, [email protected]

Map - Percent of Average Precipitation (AZ & NM)

RainLog

Climate Reference Network

Southwest Monsoon Fantasy Forecasts Game

NOAA - Climate Prediction Center: Outlooks 

It’s June - which means in this month’s Southwest Climate Podcast, hosts Zack Guido and Mike Crimmins can officially talk about the monsoon.  Before they deep dive into the 2024 monsoon season, they cover recent conditions from last month, the fire risk and its relationship to the monsoon, and then get right down to business.  The stakes are high with a beer going to which host betters the other in v.4 of the Monsoon Fantasy Forecast game this year (sign up today).  

Recorded: Friday, June 7, 2024 

Aired: Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Mentions:

Southwest Coordination Center - Outlooks

National Interagency Coordination Center - Outlooks

Drought.gov - Soil Moisture

North American Multi-Model Ensemble

NOAA - Climate Prediction Center

Tropical Tidbits - GFS Forecast Model

Welcome to this special episode of the Southwest Climate Podcast with guest hosts: Gigi Owen & Christina Greene.  In this special episode, we bring you 3 guests that were all part of the CLIMAS Environment & Society Fellowship program over the past year.  A lot of the science that CLIMAS researchers do is done collaboratively with and for our community partners so that the science that we do ends up being useful to decision-making and policy development and planning.  Our Fellowship program offers University of Arizona graduate students the opportunity to take this kind of collaborative approach to address environmental and societal problems.  Our fellows are here today to share more about their work and what they've been up to over the past year. 

2023 CLIMAS Environment & Society Fellows

Hannah Friedrich

“Mapping tarps and stories to spotlight inequitable disaster recovery”

Majerle Lister

“Re-Thinking Land and History: Working with Navajo Mountain Soil Water Conservation District Members”

Lucas Belury

“Flood Justice in South Texas”

Talia Anderson *Unable to attend podcast recording

“What's going on with the rains?”

It’s that time and we are 6 weeks away from the start of the 2024 monsoon season.  In this month’s Southwest Climate Podcast, hosts Zack Guido and Mike Crimmins cover the end of the winter season, the transition month of April and give an early preview to the monsoon.  Will the shift from El Niño to La Niña make for a dry or wet monsoon or active hurricane season?  Will Zack break Mike’s eternal optimism with what the forecast models are saying?  Listen in so you can be ready to play the Monsoon Fantasy Forecast Game!  

Recorded: May 3, 2024

Aired: May 8, 2024

Mentions:

University of Arizona Cooperative Extension - Climate Sciences Applications

Climate.gov ENSO blog - “Untangling the winter 2023-24 precipitation forecast ball of yarn”

Southwest U.S. Summer Monsoon Season Precipitation Mapping

University of Arizona News - “Brace for a very active hurricane season this year, warn UArizona forecasters”

NWS - CPC North American Multi-Model Ensemble

In this month’s Southwest Climate Podcast hosts Zack Guido and Mike Crimmins look back at winter to share insights on the late-loaded precipitation, as well as current snowpack conditions and streamflow forecasts.  The hosts discuss how El Niño played out as it starts its transition to La Niña and what to look out for this coming spring setting up this year’s monsoon season.  And stay tuned for news on this year's Monsoon Fantasy competition on the next Pod!

Recorded: Friday, Mar 29, 2024