Wisconsin Winters, Snow No More?

 

 

The image above depicts the projected number of days per year when the temperature will exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit for the historical conditions (left) and by the mid-21st century (right).

https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/climatechange/science

Growing up in Wisconsin, I can vividly remember having plenty of days during winter when there would be more than a foot of snow that lasted more than a day, having to sit and wait in front of the TV to see if school was cancelled, and having most days in the summer not be extremely hot or unbearably humid. However, now there is significantly less snow, with most of the precipitation melting within a day, there aren't many schools cancellations for snow days, and now most summer days are well into the upper 80s/lower 90s causing many to stay inside with their air conditioning on. This significant change in Wisconsin's climate has happened within the past 20 years, but has been slowly occurring before that point, but only recently exponentially changing. 

According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the annual temperature in Wisconsin is projected to increase 2-8 degrees by 2050 with a rise in the frequency of days with a temperature above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. It is expected that over 30 days per year by 2050 will be above 90 degrees, whereas it is only around 10 days per year currently. Not only will the temperature increase, but the amount of precipitation Wisconsin relieves annually has increased by approximately 10-20 percent since 1950. It is predicted that it will continue to increase by 2050 and that Wisconsin will see an increase in fall, winter, and spring with more precipitation being rain than snow. 

The image above shows the number of days per year with 2" or more precipitation in 24 hours for both the historical conditions (left) and the predicted mid-21st century (right). This shows a significant increase in extreme precipitation.

https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/climatechange/science

Not only will temperature and precipitation increase, but the threat to human health. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers climate change one of the top public health threats of our time. Since extreme heat kills more people annually than any other weather-related disaster, it is imperative that there are strides made to reduce climate change and its effects. 

It's very disheartening to see just how much of an impact climate change has had on Wisconsin and its climate, especially since at the rate climate change is impacting Wisconsin, there is the possibility that in the near future there will be significantly less snowfall if there even is snowfall at all. I definitely think more people are beginning to notice the effects of climate change in Wisconsin as more and more people are pushing for making "green choices" that are environmentally friendly. With more people trying to reduce the effects of climate change, one can only hope that the effects of climate change are negated before they become too out of hand and irreversible. 

The most interesting thing I've learned during Botany 450 is about the different invasive species that are found in Wisconsin and the rest of the midwest. A lot of the species we talked about I had seen before, but I had no idea that they were invasive species and not actually native to the area. Knowing about what species are invasive is important to prevent their spread, so it is important that as many people as possible know about invasive species in their area and how to stop the spread of them.  

Sources:
https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/climatechange/science 

https://www.wpr.org/global-warming-happening-more-rapidly-wisconsin-already-feeling-it#:~:text=Wisconsin%20is%20already%20warmer%20and,has%20increased%20about%2015%20percent. 

https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/climatechange/impacts