Drought, Snowpack, and Streamflow
05/05/21 • 51 min
In this continuation of our special series on drought, we interview two water and climate scientists to learn what streamflow forecasts are predicting for the upcoming summer, and to learn more about an emerging area of research, termed snow drought. Dr. Adrian Harpold is a hydrologist with the University of Nevada, Reno, and is also a SW CASC funded researcher. Dr. Brad Udall is a Senior Water and Climate Scientist with the Colorado Water Center at Colorado State University, and is a co-principal investigator with the SW CASC. Here they share with us insights such as why 100% of the historic snow-pack doesn’t always translate to 100% of the historic runoff, the challenges of “weather whiplash”, options for water management on the watershed scale, and what gives them hope for the future even in the face of some pretty grim predictions.
Links to organizations and events mentioned during the interview
Center for Weather and Water Extremes https://cw3e.ucsd.edu/
Blue Forest Conservation Initiative https://www.blueforest.org/
Information on the Oroville Dam incident https://damfailures.org/case-study/oroville-dam-california-2017/
To learn more about atmospheric rivers, check out Season 1 Episode #1 Atmospheric Rivers
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Affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwestSustainable Southwest Beef Project (NIFA Grant #2019-69012-29853): https://southwestbeef.org/
In this continuation of our special series on drought, we interview two water and climate scientists to learn what streamflow forecasts are predicting for the upcoming summer, and to learn more about an emerging area of research, termed snow drought. Dr. Adrian Harpold is a hydrologist with the University of Nevada, Reno, and is also a SW CASC funded researcher. Dr. Brad Udall is a Senior Water and Climate Scientist with the Colorado Water Center at Colorado State University, and is a co-principal investigator with the SW CASC. Here they share with us insights such as why 100% of the historic snow-pack doesn’t always translate to 100% of the historic runoff, the challenges of “weather whiplash”, options for water management on the watershed scale, and what gives them hope for the future even in the face of some pretty grim predictions.
Links to organizations and events mentioned during the interview
Center for Weather and Water Extremes https://cw3e.ucsd.edu/
Blue Forest Conservation Initiative https://www.blueforest.org/
Information on the Oroville Dam incident https://damfailures.org/case-study/oroville-dam-california-2017/
To learn more about atmospheric rivers, check out Season 1 Episode #1 Atmospheric Rivers
If you’re enjoying this podcast, please consider rating us and/or leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, Podcast Addict, or Podchaser. Thanks!
Follow us on Twitter @RainShinePod
Never miss an episode! Sign up to get an email alert whenever a new episode publishes.
Have a suggestion for a future episode? Please tell us! https://forms.gle/3oVDfWbjNZs6CJVT7
Affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwestSustainable Southwest Beef Project (NIFA Grant #2019-69012-29853): https://southwestbeef.org/
Previous Episode
Grass-Cast: A Grassland Productivity Forecasting Tool
In this mid-month bonus episode we interview Dr. Dannele Peck, Director of the USDA Northern Plains Climate Hub, about a rangeland/grassland forage productivity forecasting tool called Grass-Cast. Grass-Cast uses well-known relationships between historical weather and grassland production to provide estimates of annual forage production, beginning in the spring of each year and updated on a two-week cycle throughout the growing season. With the new growing season now upon us, we decided to check in with Dannele for a behind the scenes look at Grass-Cast - how it’s made, why it’s important, and what changes we might expect to see in the future.
Grass-Cast homepage https://grasscast.unl.edu/
If you’re enjoying this podcast, please consider rating us and/or leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, Podcast Addict, or Podchaser https://www.podchaser.com/ComeRainOrShine Thanks!
Follow us on Twitter @RainShinePod
Never miss an episode! Sign up to get an email alert whenever a new episode publishesHave a suggestion for a future episode? Please tell us! https://forms.gle/3oVDfWbjNZs6CJVT7
Affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwestSustainable Southwest Beef Project (NIFA Grant #2019-69012-29853): https://southwestbeef.org/
Next Episode
CoCoRaHS: Citizen Science in Weather Reporting
CoCoRaHS is an acronym for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network. CoCoRaHS is a unique, non-profit, community-based network of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, hail and snow), with the unique ability to capture fine-scale variability in local precipitation. CoCoRaHs is currently in all fifty states and currently expanding internationally as well. In this episode we are speaking with CoCoRaHs founder Nolan Doesken, National Coordinator Henry Reges, and Education Coordinator Noah Newman about the network’s origins, current operations, how to get involved, and who uses the data collected.
CoCoRaHs Network: https://www.cocorahs.org/
National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Climate Normals
WxTalk Webinars (Weather Talk Webinars)
If you’re enjoying this podcast, please consider rating us and/or leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, Podcast Addict, or Podchaser Thanks!
Follow us on Twitter @RainShinePod
Never miss an episode! Sign up to get an email alert whenever a new episode publishes.Have a suggestion for a future episode? Please tell us!
Affiliate links:
DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwestSustainable Southwest Beef Project (NIFA Grant #2019-69012-29853): https://southwestbeef.org/
Come Rain or Shine - Drought, Snowpack, and Streamflow
Transcript
Sarah LeRoy: Welcome to Come Rain or Shine, podcast of the USDA Southwest Climate Hub and the USGS Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center or Southwest CASC. I'm Sarah LeRoy, Science Applications and Communications Coordinator for the Southwest CASC.
Emile Elias: And I'm Emile Elias, Director of the Southwest Climate Hub. Here we highlight stories to share the most recent advances in climate science, weather and climate adaptation and innovative pra
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