Climate change is impacting the United States in very different ways depending on region, according to a study published in . PLOS climate. María Dolores Gadea Rivas, a researcher at Spain’s University of Zaragoza, and Jesús Gonzalo, a researcher at Spain’s Universidad Carlos III, found that patterns of global warming vary widely across countries, pointing to the need for region-specific responses.
Climate change is a global problem, but its effects are not evenly distributed. The progress of global warming is determined by local conditions. This means that policies and adaptation strategies need to be tailored to specific regions. Compared to topics such as public health or economic inequality, these regional climate differences are less well studied.
To address this gap, researchers developed a framework to examine temperature changes across the lower 48 regions of the United States, allowing them to more accurately compare how warming progresses in different locations.
Hidden global warming trends revealed by data
The study analyzed average temperatures from 1950 to 2021 and more than 26,000 daily temperature measurements by state. This approach captured the full range of temperatures experienced in a region, not just average changes.
The results of this study indicate a more complex picture than a simple average would suggest. Only 27 states (55%) recorded increases in average temperatures. However, 41 states (84%) saw increases in at least part of the temperature range. In some places this means warmer maximum temperatures, while in others it reflects milder minimum temperatures. For example, states along the West Coast have higher annual temperature extremes, while many northern states have higher minimum temperatures.
Implications for health, agriculture and policy
These differences can have significant consequences. Extreme temperature changes can affect crop growth, strain public health systems, and influence how communities perceive climate risks. All of these factors play an important role in shaping regional climate policies and responses.
The researchers note that their method could also be used to study other climate-related changes, such as changing precipitation patterns and rising sea levels.
look beyond the average
The authors summarize: “Looking beyond average temperature, we show that certain parts of the temperature distribution are warming in most US states, even when increases in average temperature are not statistically significant. This reveals strong regional inequalities in how climate change is experienced across the US.”
Funding: Gobierno de Aragon and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF, EU), grant LMP71-18 — received by MDG. Spanish Research Agency (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and ERDF, grants PID2020-114646RB-C44 (MDG), PID2023-147593NB-I00 (JG), PID2023-150095NB-C44 (MDG), RED2022-134122-T (LG, JG). MCIN/AEI and European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR, grant TED2021-129784B-I00 — received by MDG and JG. MCIN/AEI, grant CEX2021-001181 (Maria de Maeztu) — received by JG. Community of Madrid, grants EPUC3M11 and V PRICIT — received by JG. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
