January 2026 SW Climate Podcast - Weather’s Been Weird

  Recorded 01/30/2026, Aired 02/02/2026   Hosts Zack Guido and Mike Crimmins are kicking off 2026 with a look at this winter’s weird weather in this month’s Southwest Climate Podcast.  They do a recap of the last couple of months of precip and temps.  They do a review of large scale climate patterns - Madden–Julian Oscillation, Greenland Block - and get into a deep discussion about the Polar Vortex.  They cover the not-so-great coverage of snowpack and look at the forecasts through peak season going forward.  Rounding out the episode is the NOAA announcement on RONI (a topic of past episodes) and a preview of the AI focused episode that is in the works.    Mentions: Paper: Arctic sea ice decline and continental cold anomalies: Upstream and downstream effects of Greenland blocking Paper: What Is the Polar Vortex and How Does It Influence Weather? Figure 2 Figure 1 Article: Stratospheric Warming Confirmed: Polar Vortex Collapse to Bring Major Weather Disruption in the Coming Weeks Article: February forecast calls for more polar vortex mayhem Article: Snow Drought in the West Reaches Record Levels NOAA NWS - Climate Prediction Center: Forecasts NOAA NWS - Public Information Statement: Implementing a Relative Oceanic Niño Index effective February 1, 2026 NOAA NWS - Information Circular: Relative Oceanic Niño Index (RONI) Paper: Northern Hemisphere Wintertime Teleconnections from the 2023–24 El Niño Offset by Background SST Trends