Recent Perception of 2018-19 Winter Temps
From -50°F wind chills in the Midwest to exceptional snow in the Southwest, it’s been a winter of extremes. But in historical context, this winter was not exceptionally cold; nationally, December and January temperatures were warmer than the 20th century average. So why did people notice the cold so much? A recent study may have the answer, showing
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Top Climate Hazards in 2050
Which climate hazard is expected to intensify the fastest in your area?
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Current & Future Climate Hazards in Your City
In the past six months, Florida has faced record high temperatures, abnormally toxic algal blooms, and the house-flattening winds of Hurricane Michael. California suffered its worst-ever wildfires, preceded by drought and followed by mudslides. Scientists may study climate change impacts separately, but their potential to strike together is clear.
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Shorter Cold Spells
From breathtaking ice sculptures to the frozen pants challenge, people were buzzing around the polar outbreak in late January. But just five days later, few took notice when Chicago temperatures climbed to a record high minimum. With temperature swings of 70°F or more around the Midwest, concerns shifted to potholes and pipe bursts. These rapid
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2018’s Billion-Dollar Disasters Show Weather & Climate Impacts Across the U.S.
Hurricanes hit the U.S. especially hard, leading 2018’s near-record list of 14 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters. Hurricanes Michael and Florence combined for at least $49 billion in damages — over half of the total from the year’s included events (cost estimates will be updated over time). In addition, the Western wildfire season was
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2018 Global Temp Review: Land & Ocean
At long last, the government is open and the year-end climate reports from NOAA and NASA are out. As expected, 2018 was the fourth-hottest year on record globally, and another near-record year for U.S. weather and climate disasters. All of the years on record that were hotter or more disaster-filled came in the past decade. To bring context to the
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Less Extreme Cold
With a polar outbreak plunging down through the Great Lakes, some cities may be dropping to their coldest temperatures in decades. But how do this week’s extremes compare to the long-term trend? As our greenhouse gas emissions continue to drive climate change, cold extremes are trending warmer across the country. In the last half-century, 96
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Winter Warming Trends Across the U.S.
A mid-winter cold snap has hit much of the country, but these episodes are becoming less frequent with climate change. Low temperatures and ample snowfall are a must for winter recreation — an industry that contributed more than $20 billion to the national economy in the 2015-2016 season. These conditions are under threat from warming winters,
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Snowfall Totals Are Changing in These Cities
A mid-winter cold snap has hit much of the country, but these episodes are becoming less frequent with climate change. Low temperatures and ample snowfall are a must for winter recreation — an industry that contributed more than $20 billion to the national economy in the 2015-2016 season. These conditions are under threat from warming winters,
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Future Days Below Freezing
A mid-winter cold snap has hit much of the country, but these episodes are becoming less frequent with climate change. Low temperatures and ample snowfall are a must for winter recreation — an industry that contributed more than $20 billion to the national economy in the 2015-2016 season. These conditions are under threat from warming winters,
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Hottest Years for U.S. Cities
We calculated the average annual temperatures at 244 individual U.S. stations throughout their periods of record, highlighted the decade in which each record hot year was established, and showed the breakdown of each station’s records by decade. Only one place in our sample had its hottest year on record in 2018 — Palm Springs, California. On the
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Christmas Climate Extremes Across the U.S.
It’s that time of year when people are wondering about their chance for a white Christmas. Despite historic, early-season snow from Calgary, Alberta to Roanoke, Virginia, the overall snow-covered area in North America is shrinking as temperatures rise with climate change.
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