It's made up of the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The warmer the air near the surface is relative to the air above it, the more potential energy it has to move up. Percent of total annual precipitation occurring during JulySeptember, based on 19792020 using CPC Unified rain-gauge-based data. These increased temperatures lead to a whole host of other effects, including a decrease in snowpack, declines in river flow, drier soils from more evaporation, and the increased likelihood of drought and fires. 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. Shallow seas invaded the continent, ultimately covering the whole area until the late Carboniferous. The impacts of the monsoon go beyond just rainfall amounts. 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. Photos of YPM IP 529539 by Jessica Utrup, 2015 (Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History/YPM,CC0 1.0 Universal/Public Domain Dedication, viaGBIF.org). Left photoandright photoby NPS/Michael Quinn (Grand Canyon National Park via flickr,Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license, images cropped and resized). 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. 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. As the Cambrian progressed, North America moved northward, and what would become much of the southwestern U.S. was located near the Tropic of Capricorn. Fossils of a cycad (Dioonopsis praespinulosa) from the Paleocene Castle Rock Flora, Colorado. Northwestern Mexico receives upwards of 75% of its average annual precipitation from it, and Arizona and New Mexico more than 50%, during JulySeptember. The first letter of each zone in the key indicates its major classification. The North Rim is 8000 feet (2438meters) to 9000 feet (2743 meters) above sea level. Left:Jaw with teeth. Andrews Glacier in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, at two points in time. All rights reserved. What is the weather like in the Southwest region in summer? Some areas were more than2F warmer than average (see Figure 1). (2015) . This chart shows annual values of the Palmer Drought Severity Index, averaged over six states in the Southwest (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah). Credits for individual images are given in figure captions. Forecasts had all of this widespread flash flooding. For the climate on early Earth prior to 541 million years ago, see the Introduction to Climate section. This planting zone combines saline water and alkaline soil with intense sunlight, high temperatures and varying elevations. Photo by James St. John (flickr, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license, image resized). however, the monsoons provide life-giving moisture in a region that is always dry. The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report covers observed and potential future changes in the North American Monsoon. Photo of USNM P 38052 by Frederic Cochard (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, public domain). The average amount of precipitation for the United States is 85.6 centimeters (33.7 inches). 2. Photoandreconstructionby National Park Service/NPS (public domain). The Southwest Region climate in the United States is often associated with extremes. Ordovician deposits across the Southwest indicate warm, shallow seas rich in invertebrate life. 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. Higher atmospheric moisture content has also been correlated with an increased incidence of tornados and winter storms. The average annual temperature in most of the Southwest is predicted to rise 2.2 to 5.5C (4 to 10F) by 2100. Data source: National Drought Mitigation Center, 20213Web update: April2021. 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. Modified fromFigure 11 in Kirby et al. All of these plants, animals, and people need water to survive. 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). 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. 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 Palmer Index is calculated from precipitation and temperature measurements at weather stations, and has been used widely for many years. These changes to rain and snow-pack are already stressing water sources and affecting agriculture. 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 . I listened to the Southwest Climate Podcast from CLIMAS, the Climate Assessment for the Southwest, to learn more about what affects the monsoon and its rainfall, and how Monsoon 2021 is shaping up, and reached out to the podcast co-hosts, Zack Guido and Mike Crimmins, for help with this post. Introduction The overall climate of the Southwestits weather patterns over a long period of timetends to be warm and dry. 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. Photo by Stefan Klein (Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license, image cropped and resized). Photo by James St. John (flickr, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license, image cropped and resized). Figure by Emily Becker. By comparison, the average high and low temperatures for the entire United States are 17C (63F) and 5C (41F), respectively. Accessed March2021. www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag. This figure uses the U.S. Drought Monitor classification system, which is described in the table in the Droughtindicator. Photograph by Julia Manzerova (Flickr;Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license; image resized). Average Annual Temperatures in the Southwestern United States. Map by NOAA(public domain) modified for the[emailprotected]project. . See you then! Southwest Increased heat, drought, and insect outbreaks, all linked to climate change, have increased wildfires. Large lakes covered parts of northern Utah and Colorado. Summer- The summer in the Southwest region is hot and desert-like. SUMMARY OF THE OUTLOOK FOR NON-TECHNICAL USERS. Maps and data. Fig. Photo by Lane Pearman (flickr, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license, image cropped and resized). Left photoandright photofrom NPS, courtesy David Bustos (public domain). 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). That timeworn classic is only partially true--May and September can also be great summer months. Kppen climate map of the 48 contiguous states of the continental United States. It is the largest wildfire that New Mexico has ever witnessed. Annual Weather SummaryNovember 2022 to October 2023. 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. Facebook Tweet A shift in plant type to those better adapted to drier conditions further suggests a change in climate during the Permian. While two indicators in this report present information about unusually high or low temperatures and drought on a national scale (see the High and Low Temperatures indicator and the Drought indicator), this feature highlights the Southwest because of its particular sensitivity to temperature and drought. Brown indicates where precipitation has been less than average; green is greater than average. 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. Earth 300 million years ago, during the end of the Carboniferous Period (Pennsylvanian). Here on Earth: Regional Guides to Earth Science, Earth Science of the Southwestern United States, Climate of the Southwestern United States. The daily range between maximum and minimum temperatures sometimes runs as much as 50 to 60 degrees F during the drier periods of the year. Drier days and higher temperatures will amplify evaporation, increasing the desertification of already arid areas and affecting natural ecosystems as well as increasing pressure on the water supply for agriculture and cities. Data source: NOAA, 20214Web update: April2021, Key Points | Background | About the Data | Technical Documentation. 2010. Average annual preciptiation for the southwestern U.S. Colorado has a generally cool and continental climate with low humidity. Although the mountain building that occurred during this event was mostly far to the east, the Southwest was influenced by both fluctuating sea levels and a few significant tectonic changes. There was likely little or no glacial ice anywhere on Earth, and temperatures were highest in lower latitudes. However, while the effect of warming on the storms is uncertain, temperatures have been increasing. You mentioned, if I understood correctly, that a La Nina pattern during winter months leads to an increase in the North American Monsoon in late summer. Data for Figure 2 were provided by the National Drought Mitigation Center. 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. A crinoid (Ibexocrinus lepton) from the Ordovician Kanosh Shale, Millard County, Utah. Across New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah, summer rains originate from moisture brought into the area from the Gulf of Mexico. Its largely too soon to tell. 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. 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. Mesohippusmeasured up to 70 centimeters (2 feet) at shoulder height. Extensive Permian deposits throughout the Southwest are home to a host of fossils, including terrestrial amphibians, reptiles, and synapsids. The monsoon starts to develop in Mexico in June, and moves into the U.S. Southwest in July. 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. Skeleton of a juvenileCamarosaurs lentus, a type of sauropod, from the Carnegie Quarry, Jurassic Morrison Formation, Dinosaur National Monument, Utah and Colorado. Glaciers in the Colorado Rockies are sustained largely by avalanches and wind-blown snow. Fossil plants, Late Cretaceous Fruitland Formation, San Juan Basin, New Mexico. Check out Toms recent post on the drought in Arizona to understand more about how drought works in this region. Thanks for visiting the North American Monsoon region with me! Moisture condenses out of the warm air as it comes into contact with cool air, forming clouds. In fact, this monsoon may turn out to be the wettest on record for some places! For many of us, the word monsoon conjures images of heavy rain lasting for months. The last glacial advance of the modern ice age peaked some 18,000 years ago. Center:As warm air rises, cool air sinks. Photo by Daniel Mayer (Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license, image resized). However, the Southwest is located between the mid-latitude and subtropical atmospheric circulation regimes, and this positioning relative to shifts in these . 2021. Frequent showers and thunderstorms continue well into the summer. 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. In New Mexico, climate is characterized by arid, semiarid, or continental conditions, with light precipitation, low humidity, and abundant sunshine. If you live in the U.S. Southwest or northwestern Mexico, you may already be familiar with the annual climate phenomenon called the North American Monsoon, especially since rainfall in some spots has been way above average this summer. Photo by Kenneth Carpenter (Wikimedia Commons,Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license, image cropped and resized). Photo by Archaeopoda (Wikimedia Commons,Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license, image cropped, resized, and labeled). Storms form when there is strong convection in the atmosphere. 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 Southwest has a very unique culture, climate, and geography. Data source: NOAA, 20212Web update: April2021. Famous sheriffs like Wyatt Earp and outlaws like Billy the . A value between -2 and -3 indicates moderate drought, -3 to -4 is severe drought, and -4 or below indicates extreme drought. The warm, arid Southwest region presents extreme challenges to turf grasses in low- and high-desert climates. Despite the areas arid climate, the dunes were surprisingly full of life, particularly in southeastern Utah. Raucous summer thunderstorms characteristic of the monsoon season are spotty, while drizzly winter storms last longer and engulf large portions of the region. Las Cruces, New Mexico, 2006. The climate was drier than that of the Carboniferous, and mudflats with salt and gypsum formed across the Southwestern states. 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. Reconstruction created using basemap from thePALEOMAP PaleoAtlas for GPlatesand the PaleoData Plotter Program, PALEOMAP Project by C. R. Scotese (2016); map annotations by Jonathan R. Hendricks and Elizabeth J. Hermsen for PRI's[emailprotected]project (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0license). Photo by James St. John (flickr, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license). 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. The formation of precipitation also causes electrical charging of particles in the atmosphere, which in turn produces lightning. The pyrocumulonimbus cloud shown at the arrow was created by heat from the fire. 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! Lake Powell, the lake created by Glen Canyon Dam, at two points in time about four years apart. North America and Europe are part of Laurasia, and South America and Africa are part of Gondwana. As Pangaea reached its greatest size during the early Triassic, the monsoons intensity increased, and the vast dune deserts of the late Permian were replaced by rivers and floodplains. Pleistocene Lake Bonneville. The Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson, Arizona are surrounded desert in which saguaro cacti grow. 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. At this time, the Southwest was still submerged. 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. 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. Stages in the formation of a thunderstorm. 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. The oceans between Gondwana and North America began to close. Here, oases with large trees, large colonies of burrowing animals, and reptile trackways punctuated the otherwise dry and sandy landscape. 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. Some areas were more than 2F warmer than average (see Figure 1). The summer precipitation total for the CONUS was 9.48 inches, 1.16 inch above average, ranking eighth wettest in the historical record. 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. Also found are a number of tree species with a disjunct distribution. 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. 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. Volcanic activity was strong. Pangaea began to break up during the Jurassic, rifting apart into continents that would drift toward their modern-day positions. Indeed, much of this region has low annual rainfall and seasonally high temperatures that contribute to its characteristic desert climate. Precipitation accumulation over the past 12 months, shown as a percent of the average mid-August through mid-August total. By early to mid-September, wind patterns have generally reverted back to the westerly pattern, bringing an end to the monsoon. In the middle Cretaceous, oceans covered most of the Southwest, with the exception of parts of Arizona and New Mexico. Cold continental conditions dominate the higher altitudes, especially within the Rocky Mountains. See the Drought indicator for more information about these indices. All the weather intel you need for summer 2021 is here -- including what's in store for wildfire season . More on that later Now, lets take a sojourn through some North American Monsoon basics (1). Flows in late summer are correspondingly reduced, leading to extra pressure on the states water supplies. Average yearly tornado watches in each county of the United States between 1993 and 2012. Roadcut exposing lake sediments of the Eocene Green River Formation, Duchesne County, Utah. Inset image from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (PIA03397). It depends where you are! Copyright 2021 Paleontological Research Institution. Loess is often, though not exclusively, associated with dry areas around glaciers. Photo of USNM PAL 165239 by Crinoid Type Project (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, public domain). Tornado Alley is identified. 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. Another factor besides latitude and elevation that influences temperature in the Southwest is its arid climate. Photograph by "Cathy" (Flickr;Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical 2.0 Generic license). Trees killed by bark beetles at Cameron Pass, Colorado, 2011. 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. Summer heat waves will become hotter and longer, while winter cold snaps will occur less often. The large ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere did not extend into the Southwest, even at their maximum area. Precipitation has become more variable from year to year, and heavy downpours across the U.S. have increased in the last 20 years. Official websites use .gov Large lakes formed in low areas, and the Southwests most striking ice age feature was Lake Bonneville, a massive pluvial lake that covered much of Utah. Wind moves the air, promoting mixing. Hey! During much of the year, the prevailing wind over northwestern Mexico, Arizona, and New Mexico is westerly (blowing from the west) and dry. 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. Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) tracks, Pleistocene, White Sands National Park, New Mexico. During the Paleocene to Eocene, the Southwests climate was warm and wet, and large mammals roamed the forested landscape. During this time, the only exposed areas were islands in western Colorado and parts of New Mexico. Average temperatures found in the Southwest tend to decrease northward, which is largely the influence of latitude and elevation. As the Triassic period began, the Southwest moved north from the equator. 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. Photo by Santa Fe National Forest (National Interagency Fire Center on flickr, public domain). This page uses Google Analytics. By comparison, the average high and low temperatures for the entire United States are 17C (63F) and 5C (41F), respectively. 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. 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. 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. Agua Caliente solar farm, Maricopa County, Arizona. And yet another element of the monsoon system that needs more study to resolve. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Acad. The Southwest contributes significantly to climate change. 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. Sun and storm in Weld County, in the Great Plains region of Colorado, 2015. The coldest periods will be in late November, mid- and late December, and mid-January. Photo source:National Park Service (public domain). This circulation brings thunderstorms and rainfall to the monsoon region, providing much of their annual total precipitation. Shelly sandstones in Utah represent vast tidal flats. Right:Graph of the lake's changing level over time. Did La Nia drench the Southwest United States in early winter 2022/23? This mortality is attributed to higher temperatures, drought, and the eruption of bark beetles that are able to survive through warmer winter weather.