Weather Extremes and Climate Analysis

Publication Update: June, 2021

A new study led by Sasha Gershunov, entitled Hot and cold flavors of Southern California’s Santa Ana winds: their causes, trends, and links to wildfire, was published in Climate Dynamics.

Publication Update: June, 2021

A new study entitled Spatial variation in the joint effect of extreme heat events and ozone on respiratory hospitalizations in California was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and was featured in a story by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.

In the Press: April, 2021

Sasha Gershunov talked with The Climate Review about climate change and California’s future. He spoke in depth about heat waves, wildfire,  and precipitation regime change. The full interview “All the Leaves are Brown, and the Sky is Red” can be found by clicking here.

Publication Update: April, 2021

A new study led by Rosana Aguilera was published in the journal Pediatrics.  The study, entitled Fine Particles in Wildfire Smoke and Pediatric Respiratory Health in California, was highlighted by the American Academy of Pediatrics

Publication Update: March, 2021

A new study entitled Wildfire smoke impacts respiratory health much more than fine particles from other sources: observational evidence from Southern California, which was led by Rosana Aguilera, was published in Nature Communications and featured in the Nature Editors Highlights.

In the Press: January, 2020

Sasha Gershunov spoke with CBS News about the upcoming atmospheric river storm forecast to hit California.  This storm is expected to bring much needed rain and snow to the parched State.  Dr. Gershunov also provides a climate change perspective to AR storms and the future of California water resources. The full article “Atmospheric river means massive snow coming to the west ” can be found by clicking here.

In the Press: January, 2020

The National Weather Service featured our new operational 3-month precipitation forecast in their monthly publication  Coast to Cactus Weather Examiner. The featured seasonal precipitation model, which was developed by Tamara Shulgina and Alexander Gershunov, is part of the Subseasonal to Seasonal (S2S) forecasting effort  at the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E).  The product uses information from tropical and north Pacific sea surface temperature anomalies to predict precipitation over the western U.S. at lead times of 1-3 months for use in water management decisions.  More information can be found by clicking here.

In the Press: January 24, 2020

A news article about the recent California storms cited two of our recent publications.  The article entitled “Atmospheric river means massive snow coming to the West” discussed the economic impacts of atmospheric rivers  based on the study lead by Tom Corringham and the role of atmospheric rivers in precipitation regime change based on a study lead by Alexander Gershunov.

In the Press: September 19, 2020

Sasha Gershunov talked to the media about the climate change and extreme weather in California.

*The Los Angeles Times:   Sharks moving north, redwood growth slowing, mosquitos biting – this is California’s altered state

In the Press: August 24, 2020

Sasha Gershunov talked to the media about the recent heat wave.

*The San Diego Union Tribune:   Tired of this humid heat wave? Expect more of them

Publication Update: March 11, 2020

A new study entitled The health burden of fall, winter and spring extreme heat events in Southern California and contribution of Santa Ana Winds was published in Environmental Research Letters.

Publication Update: December 9, 2019

A new study entitled Santa Ana Winds of Southern California Impact PM2.5 With and Without Smoke from Wildfires was published in Geohealth.

In the Press: December 4-5, 2019

Tom Corringham talked to the media about new findings published this month in Science Advances.

*New York Times:   How Much Damage do Atmospheric Rivers Cause?

*Los Angeles Times:   Atmospheric rivers cause $1 billion in damage a year, study shows, and are getting worse

*Washington Post:   Atmospheric rivers caused 85 percent of recent flood damage in the Western U.S.

*MSN:   Atmospheric rivers cost the western US $1 billion a year, a new report says
Publication Update: December 4, 2019
A new study entitled Atmospheric rivers drive flood damages in the western United States was published in Science Advances.

Kristen Guirguis and Sasha Gershunov attended the ‘The Live Well Advance, Uniting for Impact’ conference as exhibitors at a climate change booth shared by the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency and the San Diego office of the National Weather Service.  They discussed heat waves, health impacts, and other climate and weather topics of interest to the attendees and distributed educational materials on heat waves. The conference was a gathering of local stakeholders working to improve the quality of life in San Diego communities.