Southwest | Adaptation Workbook

This region was defined in the National Climate Assessment (2014) and includes the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.

State

Vulnerability Assessment

National Climate Assessment (2018) - Southwest

Climate Impact Statements

Temperatures in the Southwest are projected to Increase by 3.7 to 8.6 degrees between years 2036-2100.

By the middle of the century, the Southwest region is expected to experience 5 to 30 more days per year with a maximum temperature exceeding 95 degrees F.

The Southwest region is expected to experience between 0 and 25 fewer days per year with a minimum temperature below 10 degrees Fahrenheit by the middle of the century.

The Southwest is expected to experience more prolonged droughts under climate change.

Climate conditions may increase wildfire risks in in the Southwest by the end of the century.

By the end of the century, average annual precipitation is projected to decrease substantially in the southern half of the Southwest. Some areas would receive more precipitation as rain instead of snow.

The frequency of intense precipitation will increase in the Southwest in the future.

The freeze-free season is expected to increase by 20 to 35 days in the Southwest by the middle of the century.

Warmer temperatures, reduced snowpack, and greater water demand for agriculture may reduce available water for natural ecosystems in the Southwest.

Climate change will amplify many existing stressors to forest ecosystems in the Southwest, such as invasive species, insect pests and pathogens, and disturbance regimes.

The identity and structure of Southwest forests may change substantially under climate change.

Low-diversity systems are at greater risk from climate change.

Systems that are more tolerant of disturbance have less risk of declining on the landscape

Species in fragmented landscapes will have less opportunity to migrate in response to climate change.

Systems that are limited to particular environments will have less opportunity to migrate in response to climate change.

The urban heat island effect can exacerbate the effects of increasing temperatures.

Impervious cover can exacerbate the effects of increased heavy precipitation events in urban areas.

Resource

Third National Climate Assessment – Southwest