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Weathering with you sos
2025

Ragtag Cinema Columbia, MO

with

Dr. Zack Leasor

Assistant Professor in Climate Science at the University of Missouri

Weathering with You— Soaked or scorched: Explaining Missouri's hydroclimate extremes

Dr. Leasor provides background on Missouri’s hydroclimate and examines periods where the state had too much (or too little!) water, focusing on seasonal precipitation characteristics in Missouri, historical trends, and the state’s vulnerability to extremes. Missouri’s average annual precipitation has increased over the past 130 years and extreme precipitation events have increased. The impacts of climate change on Missouri’s hydroclimate and potential impacts are highlighted by recent events and the potential for increasing extremes in the future. The presentation concludes with considerations for resiliency in a “soaked or scorched” climate.

Ragtag Cinema Columbia, MO

Film Synopsis

Set during a period of exceptionally rainy weather, a high-school boy runs away from his troubled rural home to Tokyo and befriends an orphan girl who can manipulate the weather.

    After running away from his remote island village to Tokyo, teenager Hodaka (Kotaro Daigo) finds his struggles to survive in the metropolis mirrored in the unusually rainy and overcast weather. When he meets Hina (Nana Mori), a teenage orphan with a mysterious ability to stop the rain, the two embark on an exciting business venture selling sunny days. From director Makoto Shinkai (Your Name), Weathering with You is a viscerally animated portrait of climate, spirituality, and adolescence.

    Photo credit: CoMix Wave Films / Toho

    About the Speaker

    Dr. Zack Leasor is an assistant professor in climate science at the University of Missouri where he serves as the Missouri State Climatologist and Director of the Missouri Climate Center. Zack received a MA and PhD in geography at The Ohio State University after receiving a BS in meteorology at Western Kentucky University. He also worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Ohio State where he was funded by the National Science Foundation. Zack’s research focuses on drought monitoring, soil moisture monitoring, and subseasonal-to-seasonal weather prediction. In addition to his research, Zack oversees the Missouri Mesonet and frequently engages with Missourians regarding climate and agriculture.