What will America look like in 2050? In 2100?
We are getting to the point where we have a pretty clear picture. You can read the government reports if you want all the facts. The Fourth National Climate Assessment is your best source. Here are links to Volume 1 and Volume 2:
Volume 1: https://science2017.globalchange.gov/
Volume 2: https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/
You can download these reports as PDFs at these links. They’re about 2,000 pages long, and they’re pretty technical.
AR Boils it Down
Check out our videos to get the climate forecast for your region. Like a weather forecast, these climate forecasts aren’t going to be perfect. But they’re better than going in blind. These five minute climate forecast videos explain the 2050 forecasts in clear language. Scientists pretty much agree what 2050 is going to look like. The 2100 forecast will change depending on how well we prepare.
AR’s Toolbox
Check out these links to get some important local info for yourself.
-This tool from NOAA lets you look at sea level rise projections at a very local scale: https://coast.noaa.gov/slr/
-This tool from the the USDA Forest Service is very useful for the Eastern US. You can look at where many important trees will be able to thrive. https://www.fs.fed.us/nrs/atlas/tree/
Midwest 2050 Forecast
The Midwest is looking at more intense precipitation, increased temperatures, and decreased agricultural output. The good news? Conserved freeze, plenty of water, and communities that are already resilient to extreme weather.
For full text, click here
Southwest 2050 Forecast
The Southwest is facing some very serious challenges. Dramatically increased temperatures and a probable long-term drought trend are real concerns, and current power infrastructure is not ready. Definite bright pockets exist, especially in Colorado and northern New Mexico.
For full text, click here
Northern Great Plains 2050 Forecast
We’ve got a winner with this region! The Northern Great Plains are the only region with a projected increase in agricultural output. Milder winters, a longer growing season, and reasonably steady precipitation outlooks all make this a very promising area.
For full text, click here
Northeast 2050 Forecast
The Northeast is facing big challenges. There will be changes associated with the sea, the snow, and the crops you can grow in most of these states. But there are a lot of opportunities for someone who is willing to take advantage of change.
For full text, click here
Southeast 2050 Forecast
The Southeast is looking at potentially transformational change across most of its landscapes. This forecast is pretty rough, but it’s info you need to prepare. There are bright pockets, with northern Georgia being particularly notable.
For full text, click here
US Caribbean 2050 Forecast
Trends around decrease in rainfall, increase in temperature, and sea level rise mean that this challenging forecast contains crucial information for communities in the islands that want to prepare now.
For full text, click here
Northwest 2050 Forecast
This region is looking at increased extremes, with little predictability from year to year, and major changes in offshore ocean ecosystems. There are bright spots inland, with increased agricultural potential, and incredible work is being done to continue to maintain sustainable natural resources in the area.
For full text, click here
Southern Great Plains 2050 Forecast
The Southern Great Plains have one of the more challenging outlooks. Sea level rise will hit the gulf coast hard, with major potential infrastructure impacts. Serious water issues will also need to be addressed. This region has time to get ready!
For full text, click here
Hawaii and US-Affiliated Pacific Islands 2050 Forecast
No region has people doing more to build local resilience than those of the Pacific Islands. This region faces a very challenging forecast, with reduced global emissions absolutely key to their future.
For full text, go here
Alaska 2050 Forecast
Alaska, as always, is a real wild card. This forecast is full of extremes, but someone braver than me is going to find a way to take advantage of these changes. Check out the forecast for detailed info on changes in the land and in the sea.
For full text, click here
Texas 2050 Forecast
Texas has two big challenges: sea level rise on the gulf coast is going to be serious, with higher levels than the rest of the country, and they need to take a fresh look at how they handle freshwater resources. There’s a lot of variation in outlook within the state- check out this forecast for detailed maps.
For full text, click here
Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire 2050 Forecast
This forecast has everything you need to jump into the changes projected for Northern New England: maps, moose, and maple trees.
For full text, click here
Colorado 2050 Forecast
The outlook for Colorado is surprisingly mild in many of its most iconic and populated areas. However, power generation for the state looks to be both a challenge, and an opportunity.
For full text, click here
New Mexico 2050 Forecast
New Mexico’s outlook varies intensely based on region. There’s a real sweet spot up by the northern border. About 3/5s of the state are looking at potentially transformational changes as the winter freeze is lost and summers become much longer and hotter. Check out the maps and learn about some really amazing innovations: this state is on top of resiliency issues.
For full text, click here
Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut 2050 Forecast
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut all share an outlook that is highly dependent on emissions. Get an idea of what changes to expect in seasonality and human health under high and low emissions scenarios for 2050, and check out state-level deep dive tools for assessing coastal risks.
For full text, click here
Alabama 2050 Forecast
Alabama’s future is looking more tropical. This is the rare state that will be adding coastline as sea level rises in the gulf. Check out how this may impact infrastructure and recreation opportunities, and get info on how increasing temperatures could impact health and work in the state. For full text, click here.
Arizona 2050 Forecast
This deep dive into the 2050 climate outlook for Arizona focuses on the state’s water issues, changes in hot season length and agricultural zones, and power generation challenges. The outlook for the state is challenging. If you want to be in AZ long term, check out the outlook for your area. It’s time for you and your community to get ready! For full text, click here.
Appalachia Long-Range Forecast
This deep dive into the long-range climate outlook for Appalachia uses new tools to look at how summer highs and winter lows will change in the region. The forecast also addresses top-priority issues you should address to get ready for the changes that are coming in the next 10-15 years. Check out models for 2030, 2050, and 2100 in this special forecast, based on repeated and insistent requests from our viewers. The forecast indicates a near-future shift and then presents a long-range future with remarkable regional stability. Serious good news for Appalachia! For full text, go here.
Inland New York 2050 Forecast
This deep dive into the 2050 climate outlook for the state of New York looks at changes in the frost-free season, summer heat and duration, and winter lows through the lens of plant hardiness zones. These three layers of data are intersecting in really complicated ways in this state! This forecast will help you build up a picture of the incredible diversity of microclimates we’ll see in New York by 2050. For full text, click here.
Coastal New York 2050 Forecast- New York City and Long Island
This deep dive into the 2050 climate outlook for coastal New York looks at changes in the frost-free season, summer heat and duration, and winter lows through the lens of plant hardiness zones. But most importantly, it looks at reasonable projections for sea level rise as well as actual solutions to this very serious problem. For full text, click here.
New Jersey 2050 Forecast
This deep dive into the 2050 climate outlook for the state of New Jersey looks at changes in the frost-free season, summer heat and duration, and winter lows through the lens of plant hardiness zones. We also look at expected changes to the coastline and discuss the risks of saltwater incursion. Southern New Jersey in particular is expected to undergo transformational change. Get on top of this forecast so you can get ready to be a winner in the shakeup that is coming. For full text, go here.
Tennessee 2050 Forecast
This deep dive into the 2050 climate outlook for Tennessee looks at changes in day and nighttime temperatures, summer heat and duration, and winter lows through the lens of plant hardiness zones. We also highlight disaster preparedness, as the state will be facing two new types of potential disasters: deadly heat waves and significant wildfires. For full text, click here.
Wisconsin 2050 Forecast
This deep dive into the 2050 climate outlook for Wisconsin helps us understand the projected changes in summer heat, forest composition, and plant hardiness zones. We’ll also look at the current state of the Great Lakes and talk about future air quality concerns. On the whole, this state has a real solid outlook. Superior and Green Bay are highlighted as areas with major growth potential. For full text, click here.
Oklahoma 2050 Forecast
This Oklahoma deep dive surprised me! Check out the state’s great relative stability, and more importantly, its incredible developing resilience. This forecast hits precipitation trends, summer and winter temps, and highlights some state-level resources that are frankly just top of the line. For script text, click here.
Georgia 2050 Forecast
Georgia is looking at a lot of change, but for this state in particular, many of these changes will bring serious opportunities. This forecast hits on precipitation trends, summer and winter temps, changes to the coast, and pays some special attention to Atlanta and the exciting potential for citrus in the southern half of the state. For script text, click here.
Oregon 2050 Forecast
Oregon is a state with incredible landscape diversity, and it’s facing a diversity of outlooks as we approach mid-century. In some ways, the baseline changes for this state will leave parts of it amongst the most pleasant in the country. But projected snowpack decreases are concerning, along with their many downstream impacts, and the variety of disasters that will impact the state in bad years is intimidating. Check out how the scales balance for you in this video. For script text, click here.
Arkansas 2050 Forecast
Arkansas is looking at a number of real challenges as we approach 2050. Some of the mountainous areas in the Northwest corner are looking at dramatic warming that will make wildfire a concern in the area, urban areas are looking at significant heat-island effects, and we will see a lot of nighttime warming in the delta, with accompanying public health impacts. But we can get ready for these changes, and think about how to harness some changes in agriculture to our advantage. For script text, click here.
Utah 2050 Forecast
The more research I did on Utah’s climate outlook, the happier I felt for the state! I think it’s best outlook in the Southwestern region. Parts of the state will experience extreme change, but this does not apply to densely populated areas, which will see relatively mild changes. The power outlook is good, and even more importantly, the water outlook is good. Although the drought impacting the Southwest is extremely serious, Utah is going in with not only a history of careful water management, but virtually intact aquifers. Towards the end of the video, I highlight my preferred resource for long-term food storage. For script text, click here.
Florida 2050 Forecast
The climate outlook for Florida is very rough. This video looks at how sea level rise will impact different parts of the state, shows how hurricanes are projected to hit the state more often, and walks us through the fairly extreme warming trends facing the state. We look at how these factors will come together to transform landscapes, and work to identify some opportunities that will come alongside these many challenges. For script text, click here.
South Dakota 2050 Forecast
South Dakota is one of the few states in the nation looking at GAINS in agricultural production by 2050. The climate of this state is projected to change radically in the next 20-30 years, with a longer growing season, milder winters, and substantially hotter summers. We’ll learn about the opportunities and challenges provided by this transformational change, which will impact not only agriculture, but crucial ecosystem services for all of North America in the form of Prairie Pothole Region habitat. If you’re smart, you’ll keep your eye on South Dakota!