An unusually rainy Southwest summer is welcome — but much more is needed to end the water crisis.
Weather
Posted inArticles
Scientists unravel the origins of the Southwest’s monsoon
But just as their understanding of the phenomena becomes mores clear, it’s starting to disappear.
Posted inSeptember 1, 2022: Going Under
Flooding could breathe life into Yellowstone ecosystem
Although destructive for people, high-water events are a natural part of river systems.
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Alaska’s fire season is off to a blazing start
Drought, heat and thunderstorms have started fires across the state.
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In the wake of fires and floods
Climate disasters across the West wreak havoc on economies and livelihoods.
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Yellowstone area flooding upends lives and portends a new climate reality
Unprecedented rain and snowmelt destroyed roads and washed away bridges outside the national park.
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A heat wave is about to hit the Southwest
Consider sharing your experience with us.
Posted inJune 1, 2022: A Legacy of Weapons and War
When the heat is unbearable but there’s nowhere to go
How last year’s record-breaking heat wave caused misery and chaos for Washington’s incarcerated population — and why it’s set to happen all over again.
Posted inJune 1, 2022: A Legacy of Weapons and War
poem after a poem by césar vallejo w/ a nod to donald justice
A poem by Jay Hopler.
Posted inApril 1, 2022: The Archives Issue
How the Earth stores records of the past
When human data doesn’t go back far enough, researchers turn to natural archives.
Posted inMarch 1, 2022: The Cloning Conundrum
The place that coal built and fire burned
Extractive industry laid the infrastructure for the suburban sprawl that fueled Colorado’s destructive Marshall Fire.
Posted inFebruary 1, 2022: Essential
A just transition for farmworkers
As agricultural laborers continue to bear the brunt of climate change, activists in Washington chart a new path for climate justice.
Posted inJanuary 1, 2022: Water Rights and Responsibilities
2021’s climate was one of contrasts, contradictions and extremes
There was one constant: Heat.
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40 years after its closure, the Jackpile Mine’s toxic legacy continues
‘They have to look at it every day and wonder if that’s the reason why they’re dying.’
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Winter without snow is coming
Parts of the Mountain West could be nearly snowless for years at a time in just a few decades.
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In the wake of floods, what’s next for salmon?
Recently released eggs likely bore the brunt of record-breaking rains in the Pacific Northwest.
Posted inDecember 1, 2021: Visions of Wildness
How heat waves warp ecosystems
After the Northwest ‘heat dome’ this summer, scientists look for signs of ecological ruin — or resilience.
Posted inOctober 1, 2021: In The Graces of Grasses
Fuel for the electrical fire
Utility equipment sparks blazes, but climate change stokes them.
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A monsoon summer in the Southwest
How residents across the region are engaging with the yearly weather phenomenon.
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Fire season is getting longer
A new study finds that ‘fire weather’ days have increased, a trajectory expected to continue.