Rising Thermometers: Understanding The Warming Trends in Mid-Atlantic Climate. (ePub)

Overview

The United States' Mid-Atlantic region is well-known for having a varied climate, with humid subtropical temperatures in the south and humid continental temperatures in the north. But rising temperatures have been a prominent and worrisome trend in recent decades. An age of warming trends has begun, posing serious challenges to the ecosystem and the communities that live in this region. Thermometers throughout the region have been recording ever-higher temperatures.

This is not a Mid-Atlantic occurrence; rather, it is a component of a global trend of rising temperatures linked to human activity, mainly the combustion of fossil fuels and deforestation. But in order to create focused plans to lessen the effects and adjust to the changing climate, it is essential to comprehend the particular subtleties of the warming trends in the Mid-Atlantic.

Context of History

We need to examine past climate data in order to fully understand the warming tendencies that are currently occurring in the Mid-Atlantic. Temperature records for the past century show a clear trend of warming in the area. Although there have been some natural variations in the climate over time, the rate at which temperatures have increased recently is unprecedented.

The rising average annual temperature is one of the main markers of this warming trend. The average annual temperature of major cities such as Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia has been steadily rising. Significantly, summers have gotten hotter and winters have gotten milder, which has extended growth seasons and changed the dynamics of the ecosystems in the area.