Climate change is going to increase every U.S. city's temperature by 2050.
Vox's recent report on climate change predictions for 2050 focused specifically on U.S. cities. The report analyzed existing records of average summer high and winter low temperatures in 1,000 cities from 1865 to 2015. It then compared these averages to projections from 2036 to 2065. Using these data reports, Vox was able to create an estimate for "how much winters and summers will shift from 2000 to 2050."
Their analysis found that in almost every single city they evaluated, temperatures will get "strikingly warmer in a few decades." Their data showcased that every season in every city in America will shift to warmer temperatures, which would cause rain and snowstorms to be "more intense and frequent in some places and less predictable and lighter in others." Most of America's biggest cities will see an increase in summer and winter temperatures by more than 3 degrees Fahrenheit. Midwestern cities, such as Chicago and Detroit, "will see some of the most dramatic shifts in winter lows - from the low 20s...to the high 20s." Vox's study also predicted that in 2050, many cities' temperatures will be similar to southern cities today. This climate change will affect cities greatly because of weather's importance on city culture and economy. As Vox explains, "How high will summer electricity bills be in Frederick, Maryland when it gets as hot as Tulsa, Oklahoma is today? What happens to New Hampshire's tourism if there's little snow for skiing?"
Vox also points out that climate change will not only increase temperatures nationwide but will cause the number of extreme weather events to increase. They found that "new climate models show there will be more frequent swings from periods of intense rain to extreme drought, a phenomenon knows as weather whiplash." These unpredictable weather events will cause even more of a strain on cities' economies and on their livability.
These predictions are based on the expected Earth temperature increase by 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit. As previously reported by Stealth Power's Blog, this expected increase could be thwarted by an international effort. The recently published International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Case Study urged for global total or near-total phase out from coal, and it stated that 1 billion tons of emissions per year must be eliminated in order to prevent the planet's temperature to rise. Vox's report echoes their sentiments, urging individuals, companies, and governments to make meaningful changes. As Vox explains, "a problem like climate change was wrought by humanity, and its solutions must come from us too."
