Tracking And Comparing The Daily Start Times Of Monsoon Events In Tucson And Phoenix 1949-2023
Presenter: Natalie Yurek P281
Co-Author(s): Eden Harper, Martha Whitaker
Advisor(s): Dr. Martha Whitaker
1Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences
Numerous long-time Tucson residents believe that the daily timing of summer monsoon storms has changed to start later (or much earlier) in the day than they did 50+ years ago. This observation was tested by students in HWRS 350 Principles of Hydrology who analyzed 73 years of monsoon precipitation data (1949-2023) obtained from NOAA’s Climatological Data Online (CDO) database for the Tucson International Airport (KTUS). The students discovered no discernible trend in the daily start times of monsoon precipitation, and several additional questions emerged to better test the Tucson residents’ perception. The objective of the current project is to conduct a similar analysis using NOAA-CDO data collected at Phoenix International Airport (KPHX). Our hypothesis is that the daily timing of storms within the severe storm season has not changed. We anticipate that the KPHX data will trend similarly to the KTUS data, and show that the average monsoon start time has remained essentially consistent, with no major changes in recent years.