Patterns of Climate Change Across Wisconsin From 1950 to 2006

Abstract

Trends in meteorological and ecological variables were calculated across the state of Wisconsin from 1950 to 2006 to quantify recent patterns of climate change. In summary, annual average nighttime low temperatures have increased by 0.6 to 2.2º C, whereas the annual average daytime high temperatures have warmed by 0.3 to 0.6º C. Annual average precipitation has increased by 50-100 mm in the central and southern portions of the state, about a 10-15% increase, while precipitation across the far northern portion of the state appears to have declined by 20-60 mm since 1950, with the most pronounced decrease occurring during summer. On a seasonal basis, warming temperatures are more pronounced during winter and springtime, and nighttime temperatures are warming faster than daytime high temperatures. Some cooling trends in daytime high temperatures were observed during late summer and fall, particularly in the northeast and far southwest portions of the state. We calculated that the length of the growing season has increased by 5 to 20 days, with the greatest change in the central and northern part of Wisconsin. The annual number of days each year with low temperatures less than 0º F (-17.8º C) has diminished substantially, while the number of days each year with highs greater than 90ºF (32.2º C) has remained relatively constant. A slight shift northward of the ecological "Tension Zone" was also documented. [

Forest ecosystem vulnerability assessment and synthesis for northern Wisconsin and western Upper Michigan: a report from the Northwoods Climate Change Response Framework project

“…These data are also similar to results from other regional studies. Measurements from Wisconsin weather stations between 1950 and 2006 show that minimum (low) temperatures have increased 1.1 to 4.0 °F (0.6 to 2.2 °C) across the state (Kucharik et al 2010a). This is greater than the increase in maximum temperatures, which have risen 0.5 to 1.1 °F (0.3 to 0.6 °C) during the same time period.…”

“…°C) are becoming less frequent in Wisconsin. There were 9.5 fewer such days statewide and 20 fewer such days in the northwest portion of the state between 1950 and 2006 (Kucharik et al 2010a). A study across the entire Midwest region found that intense cold waves (4-day durations of temperatures below a 1-in-5-year recurrence threshold) have been less frequent over the past 1 years, but there has not been a clear trend across the 20th century (Perera et al 2012).…”

“…For example, the length of the growing season increased by 12 days across Wisconsin between 1950 and 2006, with the greatest change in central and northwestern Wisconsin (Kucharik et al 2010a). The date of the last spring freeze is occurring 5.6 days earlier on average, and the first autumn freeze is occurring 6.5 days later.…”

Plausible futures of a social-ecological system: Yahara watershed, Wisconsin, USA

“…Overuse of pesticides, fertilizers, and manure, along with increased flashiness of runoff from heavy rainfall events, have amplified concern about freshwater quality because people are sometimes unable to swim or boat in the lakes. Climate change has altered hydrological flows (Motew and Kucharik 2013), lengthened the growing season, increased the occurrence of extreme rainfall events (Kucharik et al 2010), and altered plant and animal phenology (Bradley et al 1999). Invasions of nuisance animals and plants also have ongoing effects on ecosystem services in the Yahara watershed (Carpenter et al 2007).…”

The Contribution of Physical Geographers to Sustainability Research

“…These authors emphasized the importance of different drivers of change in different places and their variable impact on ecological structures and functions. The need for fit-for-place design solutions to manage urban climates has been recognized [14] and geographers are not just concerned about global warming, they are concerned about the local effects of climate change, such as patterns of climate change across Wisconsin [15].…”