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Southeast Climate Monthly Webinar: March 26, 2024

Event Date
March 26, 2024
Event Time
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Timezone
ET
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March has been warm, with above average temperatures across most of the region. Many rivers and creeks had flooding in the last month, and drought has largely been eliminated. Spring is here, so temperatures are warming and demand for water increases as plants leaf out. This should help to temper flooding the further into spring we get. 

Over the spring and early summer, temperatures and precipitation are expected to be above normal, and river flood risk is also expected to be above normal. El Niño, while still influencing the region, continues to weaken and is expected to transition to ENSO-neutral conditions later this spring, with La Niña possibly developing this summer.

Check out the recording below to hear more on Southeast climate conditions and a special presentation, "USA Phenology Network and the 2024 Pollen Season” from Theresa Crimmins of the University of Arizona. For more information, please contact Meredith Muth (meredith.f.muth@noaa.gov).

Timestamp
0:00

Introduction and Welcome

Speaker: Chip Konrad, Southeast Regional Climate Center

  • This webinar contains a special presentation on "USA Phenology Network and the 2024 Pollen Season."

 

Timestamp
1:18

Southeast Climate Conditions 

Speaker: Chip Konrad, Southeast Regional Climate Center

  • Temperatures were above average across nearly all of the region; several locations in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and the U.S. Caribbean are off to one of their top five warmest starts to the month of March.
  • Precipitation was variable across the region. The wettest locations were found in southern and central portions of Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina, eastern portions of North Carolina and Virginia, South Florida, and along the northern and southern slopes of Puerto Rico. The driest locations were found across North/Central Florida, southern Georgia, and eastern and western portions of Puerto Rico.
  • Drought conditions continued to improve. Only small areas of moderate drought remain across western Tennessee, eastern North Carolina, and Puerto Rico. Abnormal dryness persists along the Gulf Coast of Florida and on Saint Thomas. Drought removal is expected on Puerto Rico with no new development expected across the region through early summer.
  • El Niño continued to weaken and is expected to transition to ENSO-neutral conditions later this spring, with La Niña possibly developing this summer.
  • The next several weeks will start off warm and wet across much of the region. The southern tier of the region will stay wet through mid-April with equal chances of above and below average temperatures across the region (except northern Virginia, where warm weather will persist).
  • Over the next three months, temperatures and precipitation are expected to be above average across the Southeast and Caribbean.
  • For more information, contact Chip Konrad.
  • Additional regional climate and drought information:

 

Timestamp
11:35

Water Resources Outlook 

Speaker: Todd Hamill, Southeast River Forecast Center, National Weather Service

  • El Niño is keeping the Southeast U.S. in an active precipitation pattern. The 28-Day USGS Streamflows are mostly above normal across the Southeast with some pockets below normal. Many rivers and creeks have had flooding in the last month. Fortunately, events were spaced far enough apart that we haven’t had significant, heavy, rainfall on a flooded area. 
  • Spring is here, so temperatures are warming and demand for water increases as plants leaf out. This should help temper flooding the further into spring we get. However, we are still wet and have the potential for flooding throughout the Southeast.   
  • Looking Ahead through the 3-month period, the river flood risk is above normal through spring into early summer, and El Niño continues to keep the Southeast U.S. in an active precipitation pattern.  
  • View additional streamflow and flood information.
  • March 2024 Water Resources Outlook recording can be found here.
  • For more information, contact Todd Hamill.

 

Timestamp
20:35

Agricultural Impacts and Outlook

Speaker: Pam Knox, University of Georgia

  • Wet soils affected planting in much of the region, but with warmer temperatures, corn and other crops are starting to grow in southern areas.
  • Cold temperatures and some freezing conditions brought limited damage to peach and other fruit crops during a March 19 frost event, but most areas were able to protect against damage.
  • Frost and freezing temperatures are still a concern for northern parts of the region.
  • Farmers are really ramping up spring activities as warmer temperatures move in.
  • For more information, contact Pam Knox.
  • Additional Information:

 

Timestamp
27:07

Special Presentation: The USA National Phenology Network and the 2024 Pollen Season 

Speaker: Theresa Crimmins, Director of the USA National Phenology Network, University of Arizona

  • USA National Phenology Network is a national-scale monitoring and research initiative focused on collecting, organizing and delivering phenological data, information, and forecasts to support natural resource management and decision-making; to advance the scientific field of phenology; and to promote understanding of phenology by a wide range of audiences.
  • 2024 Southeast trends: The start of spring was not remarkably early in the Southeast, compared to parts of the central US that were 3-4 weeks early. First blooms were not early along the Gulf Coast, but were 1-2 weeks early in Tennessee and North Carolina.
  • Earlier spring activity generally means an earlier start to the pollen season.
  • Current trends associated with increasing temperatures that are expected to continue:
    • Growing season/pollen season starting earlier and lasting longer,
    • Trees producing more pollen, and more pollen in the air, and 
    • Pollen becoming more allergenic.
  • Improved monitoring of flowering and airborne pollen is a critical need to improve pollen forecasts.
  • Sign up for USA-NPN newsletters: www.usanpn.org/news/newsletters 
  • Track changes in the timing of plant and animal seasonal activity with the Nature's Notebook program! Download the Nature’s Notebook (NN) app for reporting observations on mobile devices.
  • For more information, contact Theresa Crimmins.

 

Timestamp
49:57

Q&A and Closing

Speaker: Meredith Muth, NOAA's National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS)

  • Register for the next webinars!
    • April 23, 2024: Tornado Vulnerability in the Southeast
    • May 28, 2024: Climate in the U.S. Caribbean
    • June 25, 2024: 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Outlook
    • July 23, 2024: Climate Impacts on Engineering, Infrastructure, Design Application

 

About This Webinar

The Southeast Climate monthly webinar series is hosted by the Southeast Regional Climate Center, the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), and the NOAA National Weather Service. These webinars provide the region with timely information on current and developing climate conditions such as drought, floods, and tropical storms, as well as climatic events like El Niño and La Niña. Speakers may also discuss the impacts of these conditions on topics such as agriculture production, water resources, wildfires, and ecosystems

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