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The document discusses the impacts of climate change on weather patterns, highlighting rising global temperatures and increased frequency of extreme weather events. It emphasizes the societal implications of these changes, such as increased health risks and agricultural challenges. Key indicators include rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and the intensification of storms and droughts across various regions.
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EPA
Home <[Link]>
View the Indicators
Climate Change Indicators <[Link]> /
Climate Change Indicators:
Weather and Climate
Rising global average temperature is associated with
widespread changes in weather patterns. Scientific
studies indicate that extreme weather events such as
heat waves and large storms are likely to become
more frequent or more intense with human-induced
climate change. This chapter focuses on observed
changes in temperature, precipitation, storms,
floods, and droughts.
Why does it matter?
Long-term changes in climate can directly or
indirectly affect many aspects of society in
potentially disruptive ways. For example, warmer
average temperatures could increase air
conditioning costs and affect the spread of diseases
like Lyme disease, but could also improve conditions.
for growing some crops. More extreme variations in
weather are also a threat to society. More frequent
and intense extreme heat events can increase
illnesses and deaths, especially among vulnerable
populations, and damage some crops.
While increased precipitation can replenish water
supplies and support agriculture, intense storms can
View
Indicators:
damage property, cause loss of life and population
displacement, and temporarily disrupt essential
services such as transportation,
telecommunications, energy, and water supplies.
Summary of Key Points
* US. and Global Temperature
<[Link]
indicators-us-and-global-temperature>. Average
temperatures have risen across the contiguous
48 states since 1901, with an increased rate of
warming since the late 1970s. Nine of the top 10
warmest years on record have occurred since
1998. Average global temperatures show a
similar trend, and 2014-2023 was the warmest
decade on record worldwide. Within the United
States, temperatures in parts of the North, the
West, and Alaska have increased the most.
* Seasonal Temperature .
As the Earth warms overall, average
temperatures increase throughout the year, but
the increases may be larger in certain seasons
than in others. Since 1896, average winter
temperatures across the contiguous 48 states
have increased by about 3°F. Spring
temperatures have increased by about 2°F, while
summer and fall temperatures have increased by
about 1.6°F.
<[Link]
indicators/climate-change-
indicators-high-and-low-
temperatures>
<[Link]
indicators/climate-change-
indicators-heat-waves>
<[Link]
indicators/climate-change-
indicators-us-and-global-
precipitation>
<[Link]
indicators/climate-change-
indicators-heavy-precipitation> * High and Low Temperatures
. Many extreme
temperature conditions are becoming more
common, Since the 1970s, unusually hot summer
days (highs) have become more common over
the last few decades in the United States.
Unusually hot summer nights (lows) have
become more common at an even faster rate,
This trend indicates less “cooling off” at night.
Although the United States has experienced
many winters with unusually low temperatures,
unusually cold winter temperatures have
become less common—particularly very cold
nights (lows). Record-setting daily high
temperatures have become more common than
record lows,
Heat Waves . Heat waves are
occurring more than they used to in major cities
across the United States. Heat waves are
occurring three times more often than they did in
the 1960s—about six per year compared with two
per year. The average heat wave season is
46 days longer, and individual heat waves are
lasting longer and becoming more intense.
<[Link]
indicators/climate-change-
indicators-river-flooding>
A Closer
Look:
* US. and Global Precipitation . Total annual precipitation has increased over land areas in the
United States and worldwide. Since 1901, precipitation has increased at an average
rate of 0.18 inches per decade over the contiguous 48 states. However, shifting
weather patterns have caused certain areas, such as the Southwest, to experience
less precipitation than usual.
«Heavy Precipitation <[Link]
precipitation>. In recent years, a higher percentage of precipitation in the United States
has come in the form of intense single-day events. The prevalence of extreme
single-day precipitation events remained fairly steady between 1910 and the 1980s
but has risen substantially since then. Nationwide, nine of the top 10 years for
extreme one-day precipitation events have occurred since 1995. The occurrence of
abnormally high annual precipitation totals (as defined by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration) has also increased.
* Tropical Cyclone Activity . Tropical storm activity in the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean, and the
Gulf of America has increased during the past 30 years. Storm intensity, a measure
of strength, duration, and frequency, is closely related to variations in sea surface
temperature in the tropical Atlantic and has risen noticeably during that time.
However, changes in observation methods over time make it difficult to know for
sure whether a longer-term increase in storm intensity or frequency has occurred.
Records collected since the late 1800s suggest that the actual number of hurricanes
per year has not increased.
# River Flooding +
Increases and decreases in the frequency and magnitude of river flood events vary
by region. Floods have generally become larger across parts of the Northeast and
Midwest and smaller in the West, southern Appalachia, and northern Michigan.
Large floods have become more frequent across the Northeast, Pacific Northwest,
and parts of the northern Great Plains, and less frequent in the Southwest and the
Rockies. © Drought . Average drought
conditions across the nation have varied over time. The 1930s and 1950s saw the
most widespread droughts, while the last 50 years have generally been wetter than
average. Specific trends vary by region, as the West has generally experienced more
drought while the Midwest and Northeast have become wetter. A more detailed
index developed recently shows that over the period from 2000 through 2023,
roughly 10 to 70 percent of the U.S. land area experienced conditions that were at
least abnormally dry at any given time. However, this index has not been in use for
long enough to compare with historical drought patterns.
* ACloser Look: Temperature and Drought in the Southwest <[Link]
indicators/southwest>. The southwestern United States is particularly sensitive to
changes in temperature and thus vulnerable to drought, as even a small decrease in
water availability in this already arid region can stress natural systems and further
threaten water supplies. Several measures indicate persistent and more severe
drought conditions in recent years.
Weather and Climate
Weather is the state of the atmosphere at any given time and place. Most of the
weather that affects people, agriculture, and ecosystems takes place in the lower
layer of the atmosphere. Familiar aspects of weather include temperature,
precipitation, clouds, and wind that people experience throughout the course of
a day. Severe weather conditions include hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, and
droughts.
Climate is the long-term average of the weather in a given place. While the
weather can change in minutes or hours, a change in climate is something that
develops over longer periods of decades to centuries. Climate is defined not only
by average temperature and precipitation but also by the type, frequency,
duration, and intensity of weather events such as heat waves, cold spells, storms,
floods, and droughts. The concepts of climate and weather are often confused, so it may be helpful to
think about the difference between weather and climate with an analogy:
weather influences what clothes you wear on a given day, while the climate where
you live influences the entire wardrobe you buy.
Last updated on March 26, 2025
