<p>In the February 2018 episode of the CLIMAS Southwest Climate Podcast, Mike Crimmins and Zack Guido chat about what's been going on in the Southwest over the past few months, since we last recorded a podcast. In terms of precipitation, the answer is not much, unless the day in question is also a podcast day - the weather has an odd - but welcome - habit of raining on days we record the podcast. In terms of temperature, the record to near record heat remains a key part of the winter story.</p>
<p>January was warm and dry across the Southwest. Temperatures were much-above average to record warmest in Arizona. Drought-designated areas were further expanded and intensified in the Feb. 13 U.S. Drought Monitor, with both Arizona and New Mexico documenting increases in the extent and intensity of drought since January’s outlook. The three-month outlook for March through May calls for increased chances of below-average precipitation and increased chances of above-average temperatures for the southwestern United States.</p>
<p>The supereruption 74,000 years ago did not trigger major environmental disruption that caused human populations in East Africa to decline, UA geoscientists say.</p>
<p>Forecasts favor above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation for the Rio Grande/Bravo Basin through April</p>
<p>Jianjun Yin, UA associate professor of geosciences, led a study that identified the reason for the spike in global temperatures during the record warm years of 2014 to 2016.</p>