Extreme Weather and Climate Change in the American Mind

A survey of Americans reveals that 58% believe global warming affects U.S. weather, with significant portions of the population attributing the severity of events like the 2012 record warmth, the Midwest/Great Plains drought, and Superstorms Sandy and Nemo to climate change. The report notes an increase in the perception that U.S. weather has worsened over recent years, with 85% of respondents reporting personal experience with extreme weather in the past year, most commonly high winds and extreme heat.

• A majority of Americans perceive a connection between global warming and U.S. weather patterns, specifically attributing increased severity to the 2012 record warmth (50%), the Midwest and Great Plains drought (49%), Superstorm Sandy (46%), and Superstorm Nemo (42%).
• Public perception that U.S. weather has deteriorated is increasing, with approximately 66% stating weather has been worse over the past several years (a 12 percentage point increase since Spring 2012), while only 11% believe it has improved.
• Personal experience with extreme weather is widespread, with 85% of Americans experiencing at least one type in the past year—most frequently extreme high winds (60%) and extreme heat (51%)—and 54% believing a natural disaster in their community is likely in the coming year.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2013). Extreme Weather and Climate Change in the American Mind. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/extreme-weather-and-climate-change-in-the-american-mind-april-2013/

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Extreme Weather and Climate Change in the American Mind. 2013. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/extreme-weather-and-climate-change-in-the-american-mind-april-2013/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Extreme Weather and Climate Change in the American Mind |date=1 May 2013 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/extreme-weather-and-climate-change-in-the-american-mind-april-2013/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2013extreme, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Extreme Weather and Climate Change in the American Mind}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2013}, month = may, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/extreme-weather-and-climate-change-in-the-american-mind-april-2013/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }