Projected Changes in Temperature and Precipitation by Mid-Century

Figure 1.3

Cooperative Institute for Climate and Satellites - NC
Kenneth Kunkel

This figure appears in chapter 1 of the The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment report.

Projected changes in annual average temperature (top) and precipitation (bottom) for 2021–2050 (left) and 2041–2070 (right) with respect to the average for 1971­–2000 for the RCP6.0 scenario. The RCP6.0 pathway projects an average global temperature increase of 5.2°F in 2100 over the 1901–1960 global average temperature (the RCPs are described in more detail in Appendix 1: Technical Support Document). Temperature increases in the United States for this scenario (top panels) are in the 2°F to 3°F range for 2021 to 2050 and 2°F to 4°F for 2041­ to 2070. This means that the increase in temperature projected in the United States over the next 50 years under this scenario would be larger than the 1°F to 2°F increase in temperature that has already been observed over the previous century. Precipitation is projected to decrease in the Southwest and increase in the Northeast (bottom panels). These projected changes are statistically significant (95% confidence) in small portions of the Northeast, as indicated by the hatching. (Figure source: adapted from Sun et al. 2015)b63c9720-f770-4718-89cc-53b3616e2bec

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The time range for this figure is January 01, 2021 (00:00 AM) to December 31, 2070 (23:59 PM).

This figure was created on July 21, 2014.

The spatial range for this figure is 24.50° to 49.38° latitude, and -124.80° to -66.95° longitude.

This figure was derived from Regional Surface Climate Conditions in CMIP3 and CMIP5 for the United States: Differences, Similarities, and Implications for the U.S. National Climate Assessment .

References :

• Regional Surface Climate Conditions in CMIP3 and CMIP5 for the United States: Differences, Similarities, and Implications for the U.S. National Climate Assessment (b63c9720)

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