Ordovician deposits across the Southwest indicate warm, shallow seas rich in invertebrate life. Long-Range Weather Forecast for Desert Southwest - Almanac.com The Southwest is also definable, to an extent, by environmental conditions - primarily aridity. Southwestern states are stepping up their use and production of renewable energy. More on that later Now, lets take a sojourn through some North American Monsoon basics (1). The average annual temperature in most of the Southwest is predicted to rise 2.2 to 5.5C (4 to 10F) by 2100. North America and Europe are part of Laurasia, and South America and Africa are part of Gondwana. We can see some hints of this relationship in my scatter-plot here. As of 2010, bark beetles in Arizona and New Mexico have affected more than twice the forest area burned by wildfires in those states. One recent study explored the relationship between the monsoon and wildfires in the Southwest and northern Mexico, finding that monsoon rains were important for ending wildfires. Center:As warm air rises, cool air sinks. Left photoandright photoby NPS/Michael Quinn (Grand Canyon National Park via flickr,Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license, images cropped and resized). Wildfire risk map for the United States. Some regions have received more than 200% of the average rainfall, and Tucson recorded its wettest month ever this July. Today, most of the Southwest experiences about 17 fewer freezing days than it did over the last century. Summer temperatures on the South Rim, at 7000 feet (2134 meters), are especially pleasant from 50 to about 85 F (10s to 20s C). Paleontological Research Institution Special Publication 38, Ithaca, NY, 200 pp. . Present Climate of the Southwestern US The Southwest has a hot desert climate, at lower elevations. Rainfall associated with the monsoon is very important for the region. Extensive Permian deposits throughout the Southwest are home to a host of fossils, including terrestrial amphibians, reptiles, and synapsids. Drought continues to be quite severe over the southern Plains in Texas and Oklahoma due to hot and dry conditions. 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. People in the Southwest are particularly dependent on surface water supplies like Lake Mead, which are vulnerable to evaporation. Left imageandright imageby NickLongrich (Wikimedia Commons,Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license, images cropped and resized). Also found are a number of tree species with a disjunct distribution. Scattered pockets of drier, Mediterranean temperatures can also be found. SUMMARY OF THE OUTLOOK FOR NON-TECHNICAL USERS. Notice that North America has separated from Africa and there is a spreading center in the Central Atlantic Ocean. Changes in atmospheric pressure during the late fall and winter can lead to an accumulation of haze. As of June 2022, it was more than 90% contained. There is a rich marine fossil record from the areas between these islands. Climate change is affecting the Southwest's water resources, terrestrial ecosystems, coastal and marine environments, agriculture, and energy supply. Submitted by rebecca.lindsey on Thu, 09/30/2021 - 10:13. Average annual preciptiation for the southwestern U.S. Precipitation, while sparse, peaks in the summer during the monsoonal storms, and again in the winter from storms originating in the Pacific Ocean. Published June 22, 2021 Updated Aug. 23, 2022. :https://earthathome.org/de/talk-about-climate/, Digital Encyclopedia of Earth Science: What is climate? Extent of the Western Interior Seaway during the Cretaceous Period. The warmest temperatures in the Southwest are found in Arizona and New Mexico, while the coolest are found in Utah and Colorado. Agua Caliente solar farm, Maricopa County, Arizona. Large glaciers were found at higher elevations, and temperatures were cool. In general, it is expected that high alpine glaciers in the Colorado Rockies will disappear as the climate continues to warm. By the end of the Cretaceous, uplift to the west was great enough that the resulting hills shed large amounts of sand and gravel in an easterly direction, pushing the shoreline eastward until sediment (combined with a worldwide drop in sea level) filled the area formerly occupied by the Western Interior Seaway. 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. These oases were fed by groundwater that originated in the higher country of what is now western Colorado. Photo by Center for Land Use Interpretation(Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 license, image resized). 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. The monsoon's intensity waned by the early Jurassic, and the rivers and floodplains were replaced by even larger deserts. Answer: Winter, June, July, and August. In winter, rising temperatures have increased the number of frost-free days. Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license, Scenarios for Climate Assessment and Adaptation, Image by The High Fin Sperm Whale, created from images by NOAA National Weather Service training material (Wikimedia Commons, public domain), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license, Modified from a map by Adam Peterson (Wikimedia Commons, Photo by Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management (flickr, public domain), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license, Photo by Richard Stephen Haynes (Wikimedia Commons, Photo of USNM PAL 165239 by Crinoid Type Project (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, public domain), Photos of YPM IP 529539 by Jessica Utrup, 2015 (Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History/YPM, CC0 1.0 Universal/Public Domain Dedication, Photo of USNM P 38052 by Frederic Cochard (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, public domain), Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license, Cretaceous Atlas of Ancient Life: Western Interior Seaway, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International, Photo of USNM 166396 from the Cretaceous Atlas of Ancient Life, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license, Inset image from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (PIA03397), Photo by Jeffrey Beall (Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, Photo by Kenneth Carpenter (Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical 2.0 Generic license, Photo by Center for Land Use Interpretation, Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 license, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license, Photo by Dr. David Goodrich, NOAA (NOAA Photo Library ID wea04192, NOAA's National Weather Service, via flickr, Images by Lauren Dauphin, NASA Earth Observatory, Photos by Lauren Dauphin, NASA Earth Observatory, NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin (NASA Earth Observatory, Photo by Santa Fe National Forest (National Interagency Fire Center on flickr, public domain), https://earthathome.org/de/talk-about-climate/, https://earthathome.org/de/what-is-climate/, https://earthathome.org/de/recent-climate-change/, https://earthathome.org/de/climate-change-mitigation/, https://earthathome.org/de/climate-change-adaptation/, https://earthathome.org/quick-faqs/#climate, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International licenses. Winter- The winter in the Southwest region is mild, and hot. Southwest Region of the US Facts: Lesson for Kids It depends where you are! Southwest Asia is a region of diverse climates and is generally divided into three main climate types: arid, semiarid, and temperate. Average yearly tornado watches in each county of the United States between 1993 and 2012. In the Silurian and Devonian (430 to 359 million years ago), North America moved north across the equator, and the cycle of warming and cooling was repeated yet again. Credits: Most of the text on this page comes from "Climate of the Southwestern US" by Ingrid H. H. Zabel, Judith T. Parrish, and Andrielle N. Swaby, chapter 8 in The Teacher-Friendly Guide to the Earth Science of the Southwestern US, edited by Andrielle N. Swaby, Mark D. Lucas, and Robert M. Ross (published in 2016 by the Paleontological Research Institution; currently out of print). 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). 3. Maps showing the progressive closure of the Isthmus of Panama at 20 million years ago (A) and 15 million years ago (B). A shift in plant type to those better adapted to drier conditions further suggests a change in climate during the Permian. Before the Isthmus closed, the Atlantic and Pacific oceans were connected. Here, the states varied topography leads to wide changes in climactic conditions that occur across short distances. Photo by James Bo Insogna. 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. Colorado Climate Center - Colorado's Climate - Colorado State University There is some variability in the onset and demise of the monsoon. The globe about 485 million years ago, near the Cambrian-Ordovician boundary. 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. Photo by Udo S. Title: Monument Valley - Arizona / USA. By early to mid-September, wind patterns have generally reverted back to the westerly pattern, bringing an end to the monsoon. Figure by Emily Becker. 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. Another factor besides latitude and elevation that influences temperature in the Southwest is its arid climate. In New Mexico, climate is characterized by arid, semiarid, or continental conditions, with light precipitation, low humidity, and abundant sunshine. Glaciers in the Colorado Rockies are sustained largely by avalanches and wind-blown snow. (2015) . Photo of USNM P 38052 by Frederic Cochard (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, public domain). The better known of these wet seasons is the summer monsoon, which lasts from about mid-June to early September. How to Choose the Right Grass Seed for Your Region - Pennington Photo of USNM 166396 from the Cretaceous Atlas of Ancient Life(Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license, image cropped). Photo source:National Park Service (public domain). A= Tropical (equatorial),B= Arid,C= Temperate (warm temperate),D= Continental (cold),E= polar. The Southwest Region climate in the United States is often associated with extremes. For example San Diego county has a population of azalea otherwise not seen for hundreds of miles to the north. Average temperatures range from about 60 to 80 F in Paris, while in Nice and on the south coast they range from around 80 to 90 F. In recent years, heatwaves in Paris and elsewhere have brought record-breaking temperatures, sometimes exceeding 100 degrees F. Summer storm systems are common. 2021. During the winter, moisture travels from the west, as storms from the Pacific Ocean move east. The cities of Aspen and Lafayette, Colorado, as well as the state of New Mexico, were early adopters of the 2030 Challenge, an effort to reduce fossil fuel use in buildings so that both new and renovated buildings would qualify as carbon neutral by the year 2030. The last glacial advance of the modern ice age peaked some 18,000 years ago. Pangaea was completed when North America finally collided with Gondwana. According to the Kppen classification system, a system of climate classification using latitude band and degree of continentality as its primary forcing factors, Central Asia is a predominantly B-type climate regime. Since 800,000 years ago, an equilibrium has been reached between warming and cooling, with the ice caps growing and retreating primarily due to the influence of astronomical forces (i.e., the combined gravitational effects of the Earth, Sun, moon, and planets). Average temperatures found in the Southwest tend to decrease northward, which is largely the influence of latitude and elevation. Please click here to see any active alerts. 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. However, while the effect of warming on the storms is uncertain, temperatures have been increasing. This mortality is attributed to higher temperatures, drought, and the eruption of bark beetles that are able to survive through warmer winter weather. Fig. Where the land was exposed, deposits of dust (loess) accumulated and were blown across much of the Southwest. The first letter of each zone in the key indicates its major classification. Unless otherwise indicated, text and images on this website have Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International licenses. Summer temperatures on the South Rim, at 7000 feet (2134 meters), are especially pleasant from 50 to about 85 F (10s to 20s C). Figure by Climate.gov. Since then carbon dioxide emissions have been on a downward trend. Branches and leaves of an ancient conifer (Walchia dawsonii), Permian Hermit Shale, Arizona. The cycling layers in thesandstone represent changes in the direction of prevailing winds as large sand dunes migratedacross the desert. Climate | Arizona State Climate Office NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). 2. In southern New Mexico, Pleistocene fossil mammals are found that now live at higher elevations in the mountains of northern New Mexico, indicating cooler temperatures and more available moisture in the area during the late Pleistocene. The long-range forecast team breaks down region by region what to expect during the summer. The large ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere did not extend into the Southwest, even at their maximum area. Average Annual Temperatures in the Southwestern United States. 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. Figures 2 and 3 show two ways of measuring drought in the Southwest: the Drought Monitor and the Palmer Drought Severity Index. Right:Dolichometoppus productus. 830 AM EST Thu Feb 16 2023. This map shows how the average air temperature from 2000 to 2020has differed from the long-term average (18952020). (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. 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). Is the tropical storm season done for this part of the country? 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! Fossil plants, Late Cretaceous Fruitland Formation, San Juan Basin, New Mexico. SW Precipitation Precipitation in the Southwest has two distinct seasons. This may be due to the growth of solar energy, and voluntary commitments to reduce emissions made by large utility companies in the state. Modified from illustrations by Wade Greenberg-Brand originally published inThe Teacher-Friendly Guide to the Earth Science of the SouthwesternUS. SW Temperature | CLIMAS Precipitation forms. Onion Creek salt diapir, a salt dome exposed at the surface at Fisher Towers, Utah. Here, oases with large trees, large colonies of burrowing animals, and reptile trackways punctuated the otherwise dry and sandy landscape. The current drought outlooks expect that the drought in Arizona and New Mexico will improve in the short term, but persist. Las Cruces, New Mexico, 2006. Photo by James St. John (flickr, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license). Annual Weather SummaryNovember 2022 to October 2023. Southwest - Fourth National Climate Assessment - Global Change Seems likely that conditions in the GM may influence annual variations in the monsoon. Data: U.S. Energy Information Administration. Smog (haze caused by air pollution) over Salt Lake City, Utah, 2016. Snowfall will be below normal in most areas that normally receive snow, with the snowiest periods in early to mid-January and early February. Southwest | National Climate Assessment temperatures from Washington and northern Oregon along the northern tier of the. Natural variability, changes in irrigation practices, and other diversions of water for human use can influence certain drought-related measurements. Water vapor animation for the afternoon of August 22, 2018 showing the monsoon circulation and thunderstorm formation (dark blue, green, dark red). 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. Go to the full list of resources about the climate of the southwestern U.S. Go to the full list of general resources about climate. The Southwest's Triassic to Jurassic dune deposits are some of the most extensive in the world, and the dune field that existed during the Jurassic may be the largest in Earth history. Copyright 2021 Paleontological Research Institution. Megadrought in Southwest Is Now the Worst in at Least 1,200 Years The thicker line is a nine-year weighted average. The warm, arid Southwest region presents extreme challenges to turf grasses in low- and high-desert climates. 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). The elevation of Bear Lake is about 2880 meters (9450 feet). Also, these favourable weather conditions usually occur more. 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. At this time, the Southwest was still submerged. Image by The High Fin Sperm Whale, created from images by NOAA National Weather Service training material (Wikimedia Commons, public domain). UK regional climates - Met Office Photo by Daniel Mayer (Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license, image resized). Arizona monsoon cloud with lightning striking the beautiful Sonoran desert in North Scottsdale. As the summer heat builds over North America, a region of high pressure forms over the U.S. Southwest, and the wind becomes more southerly, bringing moisture from the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California. 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. For many of us, the word monsoon conjures images of heavy rain lasting for months. (Going forward, to avoid having to say northwestern Mexico, Arizona, and New Mexico over and over, Ill refer to this area as the monsoon region.). Historic data from Livneh et al. Volcanic activity was strong. For southern and western Colorado, the intrusions of moist air are most common from mid July into September associated with wind patterns sometimes called the Southwest Monsoon. (Prescribed burns are an important forest management tool; they are used to consume fuels like dry wood that can ignite and feed wildfires as well as maintain forest health.) In chapter 8.3, How is the water cycle changing and why?, the report states In summary, both paleoclimate evidence and observations indicate an intensification of the NAmerM in a warmer climate (medium confidence). Inset image from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (PIA03397). Precipitation accumulation over the past 12 months, shown as a percent of the average mid-August through mid-August total. Left:A petrified stump. The continued growth of Pangaea created an intense monsoonal climate, similar to that of Asia today, that affected large parts of the continent. Fossils of a cycad (Dioonopsis praespinulosa) from the Paleocene Castle Rock Flora, Colorado. 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. Light precipitation travels eastward over the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains after dropping heavy snowfall in areas of high elevation. Like the Inside Passage, the weather in Southwest Alaska is heavily influenced by ocean currents and maritime conditions.