The headline so far
The pedal is to the thermometer.
This region's rate of warming has increased. Between 1900 and 2010, average annual temperatures rose by more than 1.5 degrees F. Between 1950 and 2012, the increase was twice the 110-year average. Between 1980 and 2010, temperatures increased by three times the 110-year average. Warming has been most rapid at night and during winters. Floods, when averaged across the country, show no trend in average magnitude, but that’s not the case in the Midwest. Here, as well as in the Northeast, flood magnitudes have risen since the 1920s – a combination of human reengineering of river systems and climate change. Rainfall from the heaviest storms has increased by 37 percent between 1958 and 2010.
Look-ahead
By midcentury, average temperatures in the region could rise by 3.8 to 4.9 degrees F. over 1979-2000 levels, depending on emissions trends, and 5.6 to 8.5 degrees F. by the end of the century. This poses higher risks of heat waves and drought, which affect farm productivity, human health, and the composition of the region's forests. The Great Lakes could experience longer shipping seasons, but the warmth also could extend the reach of invasive species, and boost the frequency and intensity of harmful algae blooms. As in other regions, the frequency and intensity of severe-weather events also are expected to rise.
What's being done?
Three of the region’s eight states have emissions targets; one has an adaptation plan, and three others are developing plans. Some communities aren't waiting for state action. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, recovering from a devastating flood in 2008, has taken measures to increase its resilience to flooding, including buying at least 1,000 properties to be used as green space during normal river flows and as expansion room for the river to cover during floods. The eight Midwest states are Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
