Regional Climate Change



In general, the average person is oblivious to anything global and are only slightly aware of anything local. Since, in general, these days people are non-observant, they don't really pay much attention to whether or not their local climate is changing. If it does so in an obvious manner, then notice might occur. But climate change is subtle and therefore generally goes unnoticed by Humans (but not my animals and/or plants and/or soil processes).

In terms of the actual detection of regional climate change the following questions are relevant:

  • What is a regional climate?
  • How does one define a regional climate in terms of measured variables?
  • After defining it, how does one measure actual change in a statistically defensible manner.


The above would represent the scientific way to define regional climate change. However,Most of local climate change is simply assumed to be occurring because global change is occurring

This usually then gives rise to climate change via anecdotal evidence, such as:

  • More frequent extreme-heat days
  • A longer growing season
  • An increase in heavy rainfall events
  • Earlier breakup of winter ice on lakes and rivers
  • Earlier spring snowmelt resulting in earlier high spring river flows
  • Less precipitation falling as snow and more as rain
  • Reduced snowpack and increased snow density


Well some of that anecodtal list does apply to the Pacific Northwest (PNW).



Bascially, if you want to know if climate change is occuring in the PNW then ask any salmon, they are now quite confused about the traditional seasons of the year.



Indeed, Seattle is now quite vulnerable to significant storm surge damage as a result of rising sea levels:



At the moment, the most serious forms of local climate change are occuring annual in Alaska. Much of this is due to permafrost melting as the ground temperature in Alaska continues to rise. This has the potential for further methane release from the methane frozen in the permafrost.















There is also rising concern about heat wave facilities in both the American NE and SE.




And finally, there is severe vulnerability in certain coastal locations that will give rise to economic disruption.