overview of weather and climate · climate change. nebraska state climate office • mitigation....

Overview of weatherand climate

MARTHA SHULSKI , NEBRASKA STATE CL IMATOLOGIST | @MSHULSKI3SCHOOL OF NATURAL RESOURCES , UNIVERS ITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN

Overview of Climate and Weather

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• What differentiates these? Timescale

Weather ClimateDay to day state of Average of the day to daythe atmosphere weather conditions

Will it raintomorrow?

Do we need tomove the road?

Climate of the Plains and Midwest

N E B R A S K A S T A T E C L I M A T E O F F I C E

• Primary features

Continental climate type withhigh interannual variability.

East-west precipitation and humidity gradientwith wet and dry seasons.

Drought and flood are commonsometimes occurring in rapidsuccession.

2019

2020

N E B R A S K A S T A T E C L I M A T E O F F I C Ehttps://prism.oregonstate.edu/normals/

Climate change

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• Historical trends[1986 to 2016] minus [1901 to 1960]

https://science2017.globalchange.gov/chapter/6/

Climate change

N E B R A S K A S T A T E C L I M A T E O F F I C E

• Historical trends[1986 to 2015] minus [1901 to 1960]

https://science2017.globalchange.gov/chapter/7/

Climate change

N E B R A S K A S T A T E C L I M A T E O F F I C E

• Causation and impacts

Natural variations such as La Niñaand El Niño are important. Winter 2020-21 precipitation outlook

https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/

Climate change

N E B R A S K A S T A T E C L I M A T E O F F I C E

• Causation

Natural variations such as La Niñaand El Niño are important.

Enhancement of the greenhouseeffect from human activityis resulting in the long-termtrend (warmer and wetter).

Winter 2020-21 temperature outlook

https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag/

Climate change

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• Impacts1895 to 2016

https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/chapter/appendix-3/

Climate change

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• Mitigation

Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Increased efficiency and resource management.

Carbon sequestration and improvementsin soil health.

Integrating strips of native prairie vegetation into row crops has been shown to reduce sediment and nutrient loss from fields, as well as improve biodiversity and the

delivery of ecosystem services.33 Iowa State University’s STRIPS program is actively conducting

research into this agricultural conservation practice.https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/chapter/21/

Climate change

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• Projections

Warmer by 4°F on average in 30 years, 9°F at the end of the century.Des Moines, IA Topeka, KS Stillwater, OK

Growing season 30 days longer.Double the number of 90°F days.

Wetter climate overall with seasonal shiftsWetter winter, spring; drier summer, wetter fall.

Punctuated by drought events.More heavy rain events.

Climate change

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• Perceptions

Majority of Americansthing global warmingis happening.

Climate change

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• Perceptions

Fewer Americansthing global warmingis affecting the weather.

Climate change

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• Perceptions

Even fewer Americansthing global warmingwill harm them personally.

Weather is how climate change manifests

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https://weather-ready.unl.edu/

Know your local conditions

Plan for climate scenarios

Decision tools

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