tropics info

For the latest daily SST charts, daily ACE charts, and other information about the tropics and tropical cyclones (TCs), click here.

about me

I'm an associate professor in the Department of Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Arizona as of Fall 2023; before I came here, I was an assistant and then associate professor in the Department of Geosciences at Mississippi State University. I love pretty much every aspect of the tropics and can talk about tropical meteorology all day, but much of my research concentrates on tropical cyclone intensity, structural evolution, large-scale variability, effects on land, and satellite-based methods of tropical analysis.

I have taught courses on tropical meteorology, satellite meteorology, physical meteorology, and research methods. I believe every operational meteorologist should have some exposure to research and every research meteorologist should have some exposure to operations. I was also a member of the 2019 American Geophysical Union's Voices for Science cohort, during which I actively worked on communication of hazard information and how to explain the behavior of various weather phenomena.

I've been fascinated by hurricanes for most of my life, so I studied physics as an undergraduate student at Oregon State University with a focus on geophysics. I then attended graduate school at the University of Arizona, where I earned my MS and PhD degrees in atmospheric science.

You can find me on BlueSky at @drkimwood.bsky.social.

why "kouya"?

荒野 (こうや): wasteland; wilderness; deserted land; prairie; vast plain; wilds; desert; wild land​

This Japanese word has many layers to its definition, and it reflects the love I have for the desert landscapes within and surrounding Tucson.