Nature & Environment
Climate Change: New York City Weather to Resemble Oklahoma City's
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Aug 04, 2015 12:45 PM EDT
As climate change continues, cities are being affected by different weather patterns. Now, scientists are taking a closer look at what we may be in for in the future.
"Changes in outdoor temperatures have a substantial impact on energy use inside," said Ken Caldeira, one of the researchers, in a news release. "So as the climate changes due to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the amount of energy we use to keep our homes comfortable will also change."
In this latest study, the researchers looked at results from established climate models. They then calculated the changes in the number of days over the last 30 years when U.S. temperatures were low enough to require heating or high enough to require air conditions in order to achieve a comfort level of 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
"No previous study has looked at climate model projections and tried to develop an index of overall thermal comfort, which is quite an achievement," said Caldeira.
So what did they find? It turns out that Washington state will have the smallest increase in air conditioning-required days. Southern Texas, though, will have the largest increase. In addition, upper North Dakota, Minnesota and Maine will have the largest decrease.
Today, San Diego has the most comfortable temperatures year-round. However, San Francisco will take its place from around 2080 to 2099. In addition, the amount of heating and cooling in New York City in the future will be what is used in Oklahoma City today.
The findings are published in the journal Scientific Reports.
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First Posted: Aug 04, 2015 12:45 PM EDT
As climate change continues, cities are being affected by different weather patterns. Now, scientists are taking a closer look at what we may be in for in the future.
"Changes in outdoor temperatures have a substantial impact on energy use inside," said Ken Caldeira, one of the researchers, in a news release. "So as the climate changes due to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the amount of energy we use to keep our homes comfortable will also change."
In this latest study, the researchers looked at results from established climate models. They then calculated the changes in the number of days over the last 30 years when U.S. temperatures were low enough to require heating or high enough to require air conditions in order to achieve a comfort level of 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
"No previous study has looked at climate model projections and tried to develop an index of overall thermal comfort, which is quite an achievement," said Caldeira.
So what did they find? It turns out that Washington state will have the smallest increase in air conditioning-required days. Southern Texas, though, will have the largest increase. In addition, upper North Dakota, Minnesota and Maine will have the largest decrease.
Today, San Diego has the most comfortable temperatures year-round. However, San Francisco will take its place from around 2080 to 2099. In addition, the amount of heating and cooling in New York City in the future will be what is used in Oklahoma City today.
The findings are published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Related Stories
Climate Change: Glaciers are Melting Faster Than Ever Before
Climate Change: Bird Species at Risk in Bogs
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone