Climate change to effect striking, uneven temperatures across U.S.: data

NEW YORK, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- Within two decades, climate change will have a striking but uneven effect on temperatures across the United States, according to a USA TODAY analysis of climate projection data.

"The Gulf Coast could experience a significant increase in extreme heat. Large parts of the northern U.S. could see dramatic warming. And across the country, more Americans may be exposed to the harmful effects of heating," said the newspaper on Thursday.

This data shows the nation warming over the next two decades, also highlighting the potential for cooler regions of the United States to experience a significant increase in average annual temperatures. Meanwhile, hotter regions are expected to see the biggest increase in days above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

"We're already experiencing an increase in warming and extreme heat across the country," says Kelly McCusker, a climate scientist at the Climate Impact Lab. "I think a lot about how that will worsen ... and how that heat affects people unequally."

These findings are part of a USA TODAY analysis of data from the Climate Impact Lab. The analysis uses county-level temperature projections to assess how annual warming and extreme heat are expected to change from 2020 to 2040.

Roughly 1,100 counties are projected to see a "significant" 2.6-4.5 degrees Fahrenheit increase in average annual temperatures; more than 1,600 counties with an increase between 2.1 and 2.6 degrees may see "moderate" warming; just 517 counties are likely to experience "minimal" warming: a 1.0-2.1 degrees increase in annual temperatures. ■