The average annual temperature in most of the Southwest is predicted to rise 2.2 to 5.5C (4 to 10F) by 2100. Left imageandright imageby NickLongrich (Wikimedia Commons,Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license, images cropped and resized). In 2020, Colorado ranked 7th in the nation for solar and wind power production, and Arizona and New Mexico ranked 12th and 13th, respectively. The Southwest has a hot desert climate, at lower elevations. Changes in atmospheric pressure during the late fall and winter can lead to an accumulation of haze. Map made by Elizabeth J. Hermsen usingSimplemapprand modified in Photoshop. We can see some hints of this relationship in my scatter-plot here. During the winter, moisture travels from the west, as storms from the Pacific Ocean move east. 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. 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. The number of days with temperatures above 35C (95F) and nights above 24C (75F) has been steadily increasing since 1970, and the warming is projected to continue. The elevation of Bear Lake is about 2880 meters (9450 feet). Source:Figure 1 from Erdei et al. Calf Canyon-Hermit Creek Fire near Holman, New Mexico, on May 8, 2022. Photo by Center for Land Use Interpretation(Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 license, image resized). Photograph by Julia Manzerova (Flickr;Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license; image resized). The first letter of each zone in the key indicates its major classification. The intensification recorded since about the 1970s has been partly driven by greenhouse gas emissions (medium confidence). In 8.4, What are the projected water cycle changes?, the summary statement is there is low agreement on a projected decrease of NAmerM precipitation, however there is high confidence in delayed onsets and demises of the summer monsoon.. Average Annual Temperatures in the Southwestern United States. The distance between Santa Fe and Las Vegas, New Mexico, is about 65 kilometers (about 40.5 miles). This may be due to the growth of solar energy, and voluntary commitments to reduce emissions made by large utility companies in the state. Left:A petrified stump. Copyright 2021 Paleontological Research Institution. Fossil mammals adapted to colder temperatures are found in the Pleistocene of Colorado. Scattered pockets of drier, Mediterranean temperatures can also be found. Precipitation has become more variable from year to year, and heavy downpours across the U.S. have increased in the last 20 years. Introduction The overall climate of the Southwestits weather patterns over a long period of timetends to be warm and dry. Warmer temperatures also make it easier for insect pests to overwinter and produce more generations. Photo by Stefan Klein (Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license, image cropped and resized). The Wave, a series of intersecting U-shaped troughs eroded into Jurassic NavajoSandstone within the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona. :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/. Ordovician deposits across the Southwest indicate warm, shallow seas rich in invertebrate life. 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! The Palmer Index is calculated from precipitation and temperature measurements at weather stations, and has been used widely for many years. Winter- The winter in the Southwest region is mild, and hot. In the late Ordovician (about 460 to 430 million years ago), the Earth fell into another brief but intense ice age. Photo by James Bo Insogna. 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. In a broad sense, the Southwests climate is mostly dry and hot, with much of the region characterized as arid. At any rate I'd just like to point out a potential clue to your springtime predictability barrier problem. Fossil ammonoid (Nigericeras scotti) from the Late Cretaceous Greenhorn Limestone, Baca County, Colorado. (2011)PLoS ONE3(7): e2791(Creative Commons Attribution license, image reorganized and resized). Pangaea was completed when North America finally collided with Gondwana. The average amount of precipitation for the United States is 85.6 centimeters (33.7 inches). 2. 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. This map shows how the average air temperature from 2000 to 2020has differed from the long-term average (18952020). This planting zone combines saline water and alkaline soil with intense sunlight, high temperatures and varying elevations. Deer mice are the most important rodent carriers of hantavirus in the Southwest. 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. Since the early 1900s, the Southwest has experienced wetter conditions during three main periods: the 1900s, 1940s, and 1980s. These changes threaten economic productivity, public health, and the sustainability of Indigenous communities. The risk of dangerous wildfires is currently very high in parts of the Southwest. 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). This feature focuses on six states that are commonly thought of as southwestern and characterized at least in part by arid landscapes and scarce water supplies: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. NWS Climate Prediction Center College Park MD. Snowpack helps keep the ground and soil moist by covering it longer into the spring and summer, which delays the onset of the fire season and influences the prevalence and severity of wildfires. Download related technical information PDF, https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/DmData/DataTables.aspx, A Closer Look: Temperature and Drought in the Southwest. The long-range forecast team breaks down region by region what to expect during the summer. Spring- The spring in the Southwest region is cool. Where the land was exposed, deposits of dust (loess) accumulated and were blown across much of the Southwest. Brown indicates areas where experts forecast drought will persist or worsen. 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. It is the largest wildfire that New Mexico has ever witnessed. The satellite loop in this post shows Gulf of Mexico moisture moving west into the monsoon region. [7] Pion pines are very drought tolerant and have survived dry periods in the past. Earth 150 million years ago, near the end of the Jurassic Period. Brown indicates where precipitation has been less than average; green is greater than average. Lake Mead, the lake created by the Hoover Dam, at two points in time about 21 years apart. Monsoon region averaged over all land gridpoints, 20N37N, 102W115W. A strong difference in air temperature at different heights creates instability; the warmer the air near the surface is relative to the air above it, the more potential (stored) energy the warm air has to move up, and the more potential for a storm. The main features that influence the areas climate are latitude, regional topography, and a low atmospheric moisture content that leads to quick evaporation. Loess is often, though not exclusively, associated with dry areas around glaciers. 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. Rainfall associated with the monsoon is very important for the region. 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 has a very unique culture, climate, and geography. Right:Sabalites, a palm leaf. 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. Annual Weather SummaryNovember 2022 to October 2023. 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. Maps and data. Home Regions Southwest Key Points: Figure by Ingrid Zabel for PRI's [emailprotected] project (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license). The monsoon starts to develop in Mexico in June, and moves into the U.S. Southwest in July. A deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) in Portal, Arizona, 2004. Photo by James St. John (flickr,Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license, image cropped and resized). By comparison, the average high and low temperatures for the entire United States are 17C (63F) and 5C (41F), respectively. Today nearly all the glaciers in the Southwest are gone, and the climate is in an arid state. 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. 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. This feature provides a closer look at trends in temperature and drought in the southwestern United States. Despite the monsoon rainfall this year, much of the region is still in a precipitation deficit. 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. Forecasts had all of this widespread flash flooding. The large ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere did not extend into the Southwest, even at their maximum area. Map by NOAA(public domain) modified for the[emailprotected]project. These oases were fed by groundwater that originated in the higher country of what is now western Colorado. 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. 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. 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. Modified from a map by Adam Peterson (Wikimedia Commons,Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license). Winter precipitation often involves large-scale frontal systems. Fossil plants, Late Cretaceous Fruitland Formation, San Juan Basin, New Mexico. Image fromCretaceous Atlas of Ancient Life: Western Interior Seaway(Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Internationallicense). 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. 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). 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. Large portions of the Southwest have experienced drought conditions since weekly Drought Monitor records began in 2000. Average annual temperatures for the southwestern U.S. The Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson, Arizona are surrounded desert in which saguaro cacti grow. Also, these favourable weather conditions usually occur more. Is the tropical storm season done for this part of the country? The location of the Southwest and the topographical extremes across this area strongly influence its weather. Dark gray is land, white and light gray are submerged areas. 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. Photo by Dr. David Goodrich, NOAA (NOAA Photo Library ID wea04192, NOAA's National Weather Service, via flickr, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license, image cropped and resized). 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. Also, the occasional eastern Pacific tropical storm can increase monsoon moisture and rainfall. Photo of USNM PAL 165239 by Crinoid Type Project (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, public domain). Sci. Submitted by rebecca.lindsey on Thu, 09/30/2021 - 10:14. A= Tropical (equatorial),B= Arid,C= Temperate (warm temperate),D= Continental (cold),E= polar. PRI is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. 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. These changes include the following: The seasonality and transmission frequency of insect-borne diseases and other infectious diseases prevalent in the Southwest, including plague, valley fever, and Hanta, are influenced by warming trends. PRI's free resource to help you learn about the Earth and its history. The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report covers observed and potential future changes in the North American Monsoon. Volcanic activity was strong. Moving westward, Colorado's foothills and mountainous areas experience an overall cooler climate and higher levels of precipitation. 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 & Elizabeth J. Hermsen for PRI's[emailprotected]project (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0license). 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. By comparison, the average high and low temperatures for the entire United States are 17C (63F) and 5C (41F), respectively. Precipitation also varies widely. 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. Photo by Udo S. Title: Monument Valley - Arizona / USA. Elevation does, however, play a key role in precipitation received throughout the Southwest. This salt is part of the Late Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) Paradox Formation. Roadcut exposing lake sediments of the Eocene Green River Formation, Duchesne County, Utah. In the early Carboniferous (Mississippian), ice capped the South Pole and began to expand northward. Light precipitation travels eastward over the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains after dropping heavy snowfall in areas of high elevation. Photo by Daniel Mayer (Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license, image resized). Another factor besides latitude and elevation that influences temperature in the Southwest is its arid climate. Unless otherwise indicated, text and images on this website have Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International licenses. 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). Famous sheriffs like Wyatt Earp and outlaws like Billy the . The pyrocumulonimbus cloud shown at the arrow was created by heat from the fire. The climate was drier than that of the Carboniferous, and mudflats with salt and gypsum formed across the Southwestern states. In New Mexico, climate is characterized by arid, semiarid, or continental conditions, with light precipitation, low humidity, and abundant sunshine. However, while the effect of warming on the storms is uncertain, temperatures have been increasing. 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. Photograph by "Cathy" (Flickr;Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical 2.0 Generic license). The warm, arid Southwest region presents extreme challenges to turf grasses in low- and high-desert climates. 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. 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." The North American Monsoon is a seasonal change in the atmospheric circulation that occurs as the summer sun heats the continental land mass. Accessed March 2021. www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag. As a result of displacement due to continental rifting and seafloor spreading, sea level throughout the Cretaceous was much higher than it is today. Dry air is shown in orange. In the Southwest, average precipitation ranges from only 34 centimeters (13.4 inches) in Utah to 39.9 centimeters (15.7 inches) in Colorado, which reflects the area's general aridity. Extent of the Western Interior Seaway during the Cretaceous Period. Taken on August 15, 2016. In winter, rising temperatures have increased the number of frost-free days. The continued growth of Pangaea created an intense monsoonal climate, similar to that of Asia today, that affected large parts of the continent. Moisture condenses out of the warm air as it comes into contact with cool air, forming clouds. Utahs distance from both the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico prevents heavy precipitation, and much of the state is typically sunny year-round, with light to moderate winds. The onset of stream flows from melting snow in Colorado has shifted two weeks earlier due to warming spring temperatures. Its not over yet, but possible that the overall monsoon rainfall in Arizona will end up being the highest on record. Before the Isthmus closed, the Atlantic and Pacific oceans were connected. Photo by Gregory Smith (flickr, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic license, image cropped and resized). But El Nio leads to more tropical storms than average, youre saying, because youre not new here. For the climate on early Earth prior to 541 million years ago, see the Introduction to Climate section. 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. Photo of USNM P 38052 by Frederic Cochard (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, public domain). Low annual precipitation, clear skies, and year-round warm climate over much of the Southwest are due in large part to a quasi-permanent subtropical high-pressure ridge over the region. (41-60 degrees.) PRI is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Las Cruces, New Mexico, 2006. Right:Graph of the lake's changing level over time. 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. Has hurricanes and tornadoes. Photo by Richard Stephen Haynes (Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license, image resized). Smog (haze caused by air pollution) over Salt Lake City, Utah, 2016. Submitted by rebecca.lindsey on Thu, 09/30/2021 - 10:15, Science & information for a climate-smart nation. Left:Warm air rises. Water, climate change, and sustainability in the Southwest. 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.