Caralin Nunes

About Me

I graduated in December 2022 from ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication with a master's degree in Investigative Journalism.

Before Arizona State, I earned my bachelor's degree in Communications from Concordia University Irvine. While at CUI, I played softball with a full athletic and academic scholarship.

I specialize in digital reporting and data journalism. 

My Latest Work

The Arizona Republic •

Ozone pollution put Phoenix among the most-polluted cities, new report shows

Ozone pollution put Phoenix among the most-polluted cities, new report shows

High ozone levels over the past three years made the air over metro Phoenix the fifth-worst in the nation for that pollutant, according to the American Lung Association’s 2023 State of the Air Report. The desert metro area ranked ninth-highest for annual particle pollution and 16th-highest for short-term, or 24-hour, particle pollution.

Dust, smoke, and ozone are the leading air pollutants in Maricopa County nearly ye
The Arizona Republic •

Solar flares are the strongest in a decade, but likely not the cause of a phone outage

Solar flares are the strongest in a decade, but likely not the cause of a phone outage

The most important energy source for life on Earth can also supply the planet with space weather storms — bursts of electrons, protons, radiation and other particles — that can potentially affect technology.

But not every glitch can be blamed on the sun.

The most powerful solar storms can interfere with radio transmitters, satellite operations and communications, navigation and GPS and the electric power gr
Arizona Republic •

Did winter storms help Arizona's water supplies? Snow crews find 'above average' depths

HAPPY JACK — A team of Salt River Project meteorologists and hydrologists stepped into their snowshoes and tightened them down, ready to trudge 300 yards through dense wet snow to the site of a snow and weather monitoring station.

"It's a long trek out there and can get pretty deep," SRP Hydrologist Jacob Richardson told the reporters who were making the trek. "So don't feel bad if you fall down or need to take a break to catch your breath."

Hikers with unprotected boots followed in the deep h
Arizona Republic •

Are recent Arizona storms related to climate change? One scientist says all weather is now

The storms that continue to batter California are almost certainly strengthened by El Niño, but does climate change contribute to the severity of them as well?

“All weather is impacted by climate change now,” said Michael Crimmins, a climatologist at the University of Arizona. “And with the El Niño pattern we are experiencing this year, there has definitely been an influx of moisture and precipitation in these storms we have had recently.”

Many changes in Earth's weather patterns are natural
Arizona Republic •

Ever wondered why you get less rain than your neighbor down the street? Here's why

If you have been keeping track of the rainfall amounts the past few days, you may have noticed some big differences from one place to another. The South Mountain fan official recording station has only received 0.39 inches of rain in the past week, while Camp Creek further north, got 3.78 inches.

Sitting in the middle, a gauge in downtown Phoenix measured 0.79 inches in the same week.

Why is that so? How can so many totals be accurate for the same storm?

As with many weather-related questions
Arizona Republic •

Rain and snow spread across Arizona as winter storms arrive from California

The fierce winter storms that hammered California with relentless rain, heavy flooding and mudslides and knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of people have reached Arizona and are expected to bring a mix of rain and snow across the state.

Rain began to fall Tuesday afternoon as the leading edges of the storm arrived. Heavy rain was predicted overnight and through Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.

The systems pushing into Arizona are fueled by El Niño and atmospheric rivers
The Arizona Republic •

Cold weather can delay air travel, but sometimes it's about what happens on the ground

Cold weather can delay air travel, but sometimes it's about what happens on the ground

Weather accounts for about 70% of delays in the National Airspace System, according to Federal Aviation Administration statistics, costing passengers and airlines billions of dollars a year.

Upward of 2,000 flights were canceled on a recent Monday after a bitter winter storm hit most of the United States, according to tracking site FlightAware. But aircraft materials are made to withstand extreme temperature
The Arizona Republic •

Powerful storms move east into Arizona, but with less rain than in California. Here's why

Powerful storms move east into Arizona, but with less rain than in California. Here's why

A series of severe winter storms propelled by a merging of powerful atmospheric rivers and fueled by El Niño have rocked Southern California, setting daily records for rainfall across the lower region of the state.

Downtown Los Angeles set a record of 4.10 inches Sunday, breaking the previous 1927 daily record of 2.55 inches. Long Beach airport set a record of 1.50 inches, and Santa Barbara airport receiv
Arizona Republic •

Atmospheric rivers take aim at California. What are they and will they reach Arizona?

Not one, but two atmospheric rivers will slam into California and the rest of the West over this next week, triggering strong winds, significant rain and snow and the threat of flooding and landslides.

Flood watches have been issued by the National Weather Service for portions of northern California, including the Motherlode, Mountains Southwestern Shasta County to Western Colusa County, Northeast Foothills, and the Sacramento Valley.

San Diego remains in a flood watch, with wind advisories, a
Arizona Republic •

Has El Niño peaked? As storms move out, forecasters still see some effects from phenomenon

A series of storms has brought rain and snow across the West, but forecasters say it may not last. So has El Niño peaked?

The latest storms moved through Phoenix on Monday and Tuesday, leaving behind more than half an inch of precipitation, while in California, emergency and clean up crews were still hard at work after extreme rainfall battered the state, causing landslides, flooded homes and cars rushing away among the water.

Southern California was hit especially hard, with a state of emerg
The Arizona Republic •

As the rest of the nation shivers, Phoenix enjoys a warmup. What's going on?

As the rest of the nation shivers, Phoenix enjoys a warmup. What's going on?

Western New York is under winter weather travel bans, record-breaking low temperatures plague the northern plains, blizzard conditions are hitting Chicago and millions of Texans were warned to conserve energy against the frigid temperatures to avoid a repeat of winter 2021, when millions of people suffered power outages.

In Oregon, more than 80,000 people are still without power — and heat — and at least four have bee
The Arizona Republic •

Why your tire pressure light comes on and other things to know about cold-weather driving

Why your tire pressure light comes on and other things to know about cold-weather driving

Arizona, like much of the country, is experiencing a cold snap, unusually low temperatures that affect not only people, but their vehicles as well. And in Phoenix, where cold weather is less common, there are some basics everyone who drives should know.

For motorists without the luxury of an automatic-start vehicle to warm up before getting in, trying to keep bones from aching and joints from stiffening (
Arizona Republic •

Why is the air in Phoenix so dirty during the holiday season? Here's what to know

The holiday season is a period of rejoicing and spending time with loved ones, but as air quality worsens — as it does almost every December across Phoenix — holiday activities can create harmful conditions that compromise the health and safety of the people who live here.

When temperatures cool across the Phoenix area, more people start burning their wood fireplaces, pits and start setting off fireworks, which result in higher levels of air pollution. According to the U.S. Environmental Protec
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