Sonoran Sky

You don’t have to be a local to know our summer monsoon can create towering walls of dust that roll up and into the Valley. They are an obvious hazard to drivers, but now a new study, decades in the making, confirms these filthy monsters are hazardous to your health. This research focuses on dustorms in three states and tens of thousands of ER visits for those caught outside in the swirling clouds of dirt. Meteorologist Sean McLaughlin is joined by Dr. James Crooks to discuss the study and the danger to your health.

As Arizona's climate changes, so too does the monsoon. Chief Meteorologist Royal Norman and meteorologist Pete Mangione talk with Shel Winkley from Climate Central on how the state's extreme heat is impact our summer storm season.

Lovers of Arizona, join us under the Sonoran Sky starting on May 28! Each Wednesday, Arizona's Family First Alert Meteorologists will bring you in-depth and entertaining conversations on our state's weather, natural wonders, gardening, hiking, and outdoor activities. Your time under the Sonoran Sky will help you understand how the weather impacts your life.

If we didn’t have water, we wouldn’t have an Arizona as we know it. Royal Norman talks with Tom Buschatzke, the Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources on this edition of Beyond the Green Screen. The question is: can we adequately manager water resources into the distant future.

Almost since the very beginning, Good Morning, Arizona became a mainstay of morning television across Arizona. And right there at the start were the two main players, Jodi Applegate and Dan Davis. Royal Norman, who also helped start the show, got a chance to reunite with Jodi and Dan and that conversation is this week’s Beyond The Green Screen.

Mike Watkiss is a legendary reporter for Channel 3 who did it all, from the pursuit of O.J. Simpson, to exposing Warren Jeffs and the FLDS church. He was at ground zero in New York in the days following 9-11 and he covered the trial of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. Mike even liked to chase thunderstorms! On this edition of Beyond the Green Screen, Royal Norman catches up with Mike to share memories and life updates.

Arizona State Climatologist Erinanne Saffell was born to track weather and climate. Raised in Arizona, she’ll tell you her first childhood memory is of a huge flood in the East Valley and stacking sandbags around the family home. In the latest episode of Beyond the Green Screen, Meteorologist Royal Norman talked with Erinanne about the epic flood of 1970.

Ever wonder what it's like to chase tornadoes? First Alert Meteorologist April Warnecke talks with Arizona's own storm chaser, Mike Olbinski, who shares his experiences and thoughts on the new movie Twisters.

Saguaros are the sentinels of the desert, with a life span more than 150 years and heights that can reach over 50 feet. Yet little is understood about how the saguaro will survive and adapt as our climate gets hotter and drier. Meteorologist Royal Norman talked with an saguaro expert, Don Swann, a biologist at the Saguaro National Park in Tucson.

Maricopa County Flood Control wants to save your property and your life. Formed in the late 1950s, the sole job of Flood Control was to limit the damage from desert floods. Over more than 60 years, the organization has grown into one of the top Flood Control Districts in the country, serving a county that’s land area is greater than seven individual states, including Massachusetts and New Jersey. Dan Henz at County Flood Control talks about how he was born to be a meteorologist.