Extreme Climate Changes Coming Soon, NOAA Warns

A climate featuring extreme drought in the West, downpours in the East and excessive heat everywhere is in store -- sooner rather than later -- for the U.S. as a result of increasing production of human-generated greenhouse gases, according to the final report from the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Among the major findings reported in "Weather and Climate Extremes in a Changing Climate" are that droughts, heavy downpours, excessive heat, and intense hurricanes are likely to become more commonplace as humans continue to increase the atmospheric concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases.

Extreme climatic changes predicted in the report include:

• Abnormally hot days and nights, along with more heat waves and fewer cold nights and frosts over most parts of North America

• Increasing areas of severe drought in the Southwestern U.S.

• A greater number of more intense hurricanes in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico

• More frequent and intense rain downpours over many areas

Global warming of the past 50 years is due primarily to human-induced increases in heat-trapping greenhouse gases, according to the report.

The most sobering part of the report reveals these extreme events are not some far distant eventuality caused by a problem that we global warming-inducing humans will have plenty of time to fix. Indeed, says the report, many of the predicted extreme weather and climate event changes are already taking place and continued changes are projected during this century.

• Full Report
  
• Summary and Frequently Asked Questions (.pdf)

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