Emily French AND J.J. Brost of the Tucson Weather Forecast Office visit an orchard in Southeastern Arizona.
Lead CCASS Contact: Mike Crimmins
With support from the USDA Southwest Climate Hub, UA researchers Mike Crimmins, Jeremy Weiss, and Paul Brown are working with Tucson National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office personnel to increase the use and usefulness of existing weather and climate information to support risk management for orchards, vineyards, and field crops. Workshops with regional growers found that cold-weather forecasts are often too warm during spring and fail to warn of freezes. Consequently, the Tucson NWS office is developing experimental forecast enhancements using home weather station observations for the area, while UA researchers are working with the National Phenology Network to use new technologies to improve tracking of phenology deviations during the spring growing season.
Partners: USDA Southwest Climate Hub, National Weather Service (Tucson Forecast Office), National Phenology Network