WRRC Brown Bag - Advances in Forecasting Summer Monsoon Precipitation, Simulation of Convective Storm Processes

In his presentation, Dr. Chris Castro will describe research on the changing occurrence and intensity of monsoon rains. This research focuses on the simulation of severe weather events caused by mesoscale convective systems (MCSs), which account for much of monsoon rainfall in the central and southwestern portions of Arizona, downwind of the Mogollon Rim. Over the past 60 years, there have tended to be a fewer strong, organized MCS-type thunderstorms during the monsoon; however, when they do occur, their associated precipitation tends to be more intense. Central/southwestern Arizona appears to be a local hot spot for increasingly intense precipitation and downdraft winds. Dr. Castro is a UA faculty member in the Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, where his current research focusses on the understanding and prediction of climate through atmospheric modeling and analysis of observations.  

Photo: WRRC Photo Contestant Steven Semken - Monsoon Lightning, Pinal