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Updated 12 October, 2003

Climate Change Impacts on the United States
The Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change
Overview:  Regional Overview
By the National Assessment Synthesis Team, US Global Change Research Program
Published in 2000

Click on mega-regions (identified on the large map below by large white labels) to directly access the Overview section on that area.  For some mega-regions, and for all regions (smaller areas identified on the map with black labels), you will see a popup summary of select impacts when the cursor pauses over the area or label.

Northern & Mountain Regions. It is very probable that warm weather recreational opportunities like hiking will expand while cold weather activities like skiing contract.
Northern & Mountain Regions. It is very probable that warm weather recreational opportunities like hiking will expand while cold weather activities like skiing contract. Northeast, Southeast & Midwest. Rising temperatures are very likely to increase the heat index dramatically in summer, with impacts to health and comfort. Warmer winters are likely to reduce cold-related stresses. Northern & Mountain Regions. It is very probable that warm weather recreational opportunities like hiking will expand while cold weather activities like skiing contract.
Northern & Mountain Regions. It is very probable that warm weather recreational opportunities like hiking will expand while cold weather activities like skiing contract. Northwest. Increasing stream temperatures are very likely to further stress migrating fish, complicating restoration efforts. Northern & Mountain Regions. It is very probable that warm weather recreational opportunities like hiking will expand while cold weather activities like skiing contract. Midwest/Great Plains. Higher CO2 concentrations are likely to offset the effects of rising temperatures on forests and agriculture for several decades, increasing productivity. Northern & Mountain Regions. It is very probable that warm weather recreational opportunities like hiking will expand while cold weather activities like skiing contract.
Northern & Mountain Regions. It is very probable that warm weather recreational opportunities like hiking will expand while cold weather activities like skiing contract. Great Lakes. Lake levels are likely to decline, leading to reduced water supply and more costly transportation. Shoreline damage due to high water levels is likely to decrease.
Northern & Mountain Regions. It is very probable that warm weather recreational opportunities like hiking will expand while cold weather activities like skiing contract. Northern & Mountain Regions. It is very probable that warm weather recreational opportunities like hiking will expand while cold weather activities like skiing contract.
Northern & Mountain Regions. It is very probable that warm weather recreational opportunities like hiking will expand while cold weather activities like skiing contract. Great Plains. Prairie potholes, which provide important habitat for ducks and other migratory waterfowl, are likely to dry up in a warmer climate.
Northern & Mountain Regions. It is very probable that warm weather recreational opportunities like hiking will expand while cold weather activities like skiing contract.
Appalachians. Warmer and moister air will very likely lead to more intense rainfall events, increasing the potential for flash floods.
Northern & Mountain Regions. It is very probable that warm weather recreational opportunities like hiking will expand while cold weather activities like skiing contract.
Mountain West. Higher winter temperatures are very likely to reduce snowpack and peak runoff and shift the peak to earlier in the spring, reducing summer runoff and complicating water management for flood control, fish runs, cities, and irrigation. Northern & Mountain Regions. It is very probable that warm weather recreational opportunities like hiking will expand while cold weather activities like skiing contract.
Northern & Mountain Regions. It is very probable that warm weather recreational opportunities like hiking will expand while cold weather activities like skiing contract. Southeast. Under warmer wetter scenarios, the range of southern tree species is likely to expand. Under hotter and drier scenarios, it is likely that far southeastern forests will be displaced by grasslands and savannas. Northern & Mountain Regions. It is very probable that warm weather recreational opportunities like hiking will expand while cold weather activities like skiing contract.
Northern & Mountain Regions. It is very probable that warm weather recreational opportunities like hiking will expand while cold weather activities like skiing contract.
Southwest. With an increase in precipitation, the desert ecosystems native to this region are likely to decline while grasslands and shrublands expand. Southeast. Under warmer wetter scenarios, the range of southern tree species is likely to expand. Under hotter and drier scenarios, it is likely that far southeastern forests will be displaced by grasslands and savannas. Southeast Atlantic Coast. It is very probable that rising sea levels and storm surge will threaten natural ecosystems and human coastal development and reduce buffering capacity against storm impacts. Northern & Mountain Regions. It is very probable that warm weather recreational opportunities like hiking will expand while cold weather activities like skiing contract.
Southeast. Under warmer wetter scenarios, the range of southern tree species is likely to expand. Under hotter and drier scenarios, it is likely that far southeastern forests will be displaced by grasslands and savannas. Northern & Mountain Regions. It is very probable that warm weather recreational opportunities like hiking will expand while cold weather activities like skiing contract.
Southeast. Under warmer wetter scenarios, the range of southern tree species is likely to expand. Under hotter and drier scenarios, it is likely that far southeastern forests will be displaced by grasslands and savannas. Southeast Gulf Coast. Inundation of coastal wetlands will very likely increase, threatening fertile areas for marine life, and migrating birds and waterfowl. Southeast. Under warmer wetter scenarios, the range of southern tree species is likely to expand. Under hotter and drier scenarios, it is likely that far southeastern forests will be displaced by grasslands and savannas.
Northern & Mountain Regions. It is very probable that warm weather recreational opportunities like hiking will expand while cold weather activities like skiing contract.
Northern & Mountain Regions. It is very probable that warm weather recreational opportunities like hiking will expand while cold weather activities like skiing contract. Southeast. Under warmer wetter scenarios, the range of southern tree species is likely to expand. Under hotter and drier scenarios, it is likely that far southeastern forests will be displaced by grasslands and savannas. Northern & Mountain Regions. It is very probable that warm weather recreational opportunities like hiking will expand while cold weather activities like skiing contract.
Southeast. Under warmer wetter scenarios, the range of southern tree species is likely to expand. Under hotter and drier scenarios, it is likely that far southeastern forests will be displaced by grasslands and savannas.
Northern & Mountain Regions. It is very probable that warm weather recreational opportunities like hiking will expand while cold weather activities like skiing contract.

 

 

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The National Assessment Overview and Foundation Reports were produced  by the National Assessment Synthesis Team, an advisory committee chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, and were not subjected to OSTP's Information Quality Act Guidelines. The National Assessment was forwarded to the President and Congress in November 2000 for their consideration.

 

There are both important commonalities and important differences in the climate-related issues and consequences faced around the country. For example, water is a key issue in virtually all regions, but the specific changes and impacts in the West, in the Great Lakes, and the Southeast will differ. Regional texture is thus critical in thinking through how to best respond to the changing climate we will face in the coming decades and century. 

Twenty regional workshops involving a wide range of researchers and stakeholders helped identify key issues facing each region and began identifying potential adaptation strategies. This report groups the findings of these efforts into larger regions to offer a glimpse of the regional mosaic of consequences that are possible due to climate change and variability. The impacts highlighted here suggest that it is vital that people everywhere start to learn about climate impacts and consider them in their short- and long-term decisions about infrastructure, land use, and other planning. In many cases, research is needed to assess the feasibility, effectiveness, and costs of the adaptation strategies identified in the regional overviews

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