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Between 2000 and 2023, 80% of major U.S. power outages were caused by weather, with a significant increase in frequency during the last decade. Severe weather, winter storms, and tropical cyclones are the primary drivers, with Texas and the Southeast region among the most affected. The document highlights the vulnerability of aging infrastructure and the disproportionate impact on marginalized and medically vulnerable populations, while suggesting grid hardening, microgrids, and emissions reductions as paths toward resilience.

Since 1970, 98% of analyzed U.S. cities and all 50 states have warmed, with Reno, Nevada and Alaska experiencing the fastest increases. To combat this, U.S. clean technology investment reached a record $239 billion in 2023, more than tripling since 2018, with South Carolina and Nevada leading in investment as a percentage of GDP, primarily driven by battery manufacturing.

Using updated CoastalDEM elevation data and IPCC medium-to-high emissions scenarios, Climate Central projects that by 2100, annual coastal flood risk zones will expand to include areas where an additional 93 million people currently live. The report highlights severe population impacts in Asia, particularly in China, Bangladesh, and Vietnam, and provides the first full assessment of population exposure in Arctic nations.

The report details a decade of significant growth in U.S. solar and wind power, noting that solar generation increased more than eight-fold and wind more than doubled between 2014 and 2023. It highlights the leading roles of states like California and Texas, the emergence of small-scale solar, and the potential for these technologies to drive the U.S. toward its 2035 goal of 100% carbon pollution-free electricity, although current projections suggest the 2030 emissions target may be missed.

The report finds that while only 5% of event-related local television segments provided climate change context, these segments reached over 17 million people across the 50 largest U.S. media markets. Audiences surged during extreme events, with local television viewership doubling in Orlando during Hurricane Ian and increasing 78% in Los Angeles during Tropical Storm Hilary. Extreme heat events, specifically the July 2023 heat streak in Phoenix, were most frequently linked to climate change, accounting for 48% of all climate-contextualized segments. Analysis of closed captioning shows that 96% of contextualized segments highlighted major impacts in categories such as health and safety, vulnerable communities, power supply, the economy, and travel disruption.

Analysis by Climate Central indicates that carbon pollution significantly increased the likelihood of abnormally warm winter days across the U.S. from December 2023 to February 2024. Approximately 85% of the U.S. population experienced at least one day where warm temperatures were at least twice as likely due to climate change. The Midwest experienced particularly strong climate fingerprints, with Minneapolis showing the largest warm departure from normal temperatures among 487 global cities with populations over 1 million. San Juan, Puerto Rico, recorded the highest number of days influenced by climate change at Climate Shift Index level 2 or higher.

Between December 2023 and February 2024, carbon pollution drove abnormal warmth for approximately 80% of the global population. Roughly 4.8 billion people experienced at least one day of temperatures that would be 'virtually impossible' without climate change. The report highlights extreme temperature anomalies in the U.S. upper Midwest and Canada, as well as high Climate Shift Index (CSI) levels in tropical regions of Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Caribbean. It also documents associated extreme weather events, including record-breaking heat in Australia and deadly floods in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Climate change, driven by carbon pollution, is extending the growing season and increasing pollen production, which worsens seasonal allergies and asthma for millions of children in the U.S. Higher CO2 levels and warming temperatures lead to earlier and longer allergy seasons, potentially increasing asthma-related emergency room visits. Children are particularly vulnerable due to their development and higher time spent outdoors, with certain regions like the Northeast and Ohio Valley expected to see the highest rates of affected children.

Since 1970, spring temperatures in the contiguous U.S. have increased by an average of 2°F, with the most significant warming occurring in the Southwest. Analysis of 239 locations shows that 96% of cities experienced warming, with some locations in Nevada, Texas, and Arizona exceeding 6°F. This trend is characterized by an increase in warmer-than-normal spring days, which contributes to earlier snowmelt, prolonged allergy seasons, and extended agricultural growing seasons.

Climate Central analyzed 2,041 U.S. monitoring stations from 1970 to 2023, finding that 64% of locations experienced a decrease in annual snowfall. The report highlights regional disparities, noting that while the western U.S. faces shrinking snowpack and increased snow drought, the Great Lakes region sees a trend toward more lake effect snow due to reduced ice cover, though the overall snow season is projected to shorten. These shifts threaten water security in the West, the winter recreation industry in the Northeast, and aquatic ecosystems in the Northern Great Plains.

Climate Central analysis shows that winter's longest cold streaks have shrunk by an average of six days across 240 U.S. locations between 1970 and 2023, affecting 98% of the sites studied. These shorter cold periods threaten high-value fruit and nut crop production, snowpack-fed water supplies, Great Lakes ice cover, and the control of disease-carrying pests. While most locations saw decreases—with Las Vegas, Nevada experiencing a 21-day reduction—a few sites, including Los Angeles, California, saw streaks lengthen by two to five days.

The Great Lakes have seen a 25% decrease in basin-wide ice cover since 1973, with all five lakes experiencing shorter ice durations. This trend, mirrored across the Northern Hemisphere, is linked to warming winter air and contributes to increased lake-effect snow, altered fish species competition, and risks to cultural heritage and safety. While natural patterns like El Niño cause year-to-year variability, long-term projections suggest further ice loss and surface water warming this century.

Analysis of 240 U.S. weather stations shows that 86% of locations have experienced an increase in unusually warm winter days since 1970, with the most significant rises occurring in the Upper Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast. Winter is the fastest-warming season for 74% of the analyzed locations. These trends are accompanied by a decrease in freezing nights, shorter cold snaps, and a rise in the temperature of the coldest day of the year. The document notes that winter warming affects agriculture, water supplies, public health via allergy and mosquito seasons, and winter sports.

Since 1970, the coldest day of the year has warmed by an average of 7°F across 242 U.S. locations, with 97% of locations seeing a rise of at least 1°F. Winter cold snaps have also become shorter, decreasing by an average of six days in 97% of 244 analyzed locations. The most significant warming of coldest days occurred in the Ohio Valley (8.7°F) and Northwest (8.4°F) regions, with the highest individual increases recorded in Boise, Idaho (15.7°F) and Las Vegas, Nevada (14.3°F). These trends contribute to longer allergy and growing seasons, disrupted crop chill requirements, and altered water supplies.

The U.S. experienced a record 28 billion-dollar disasters in 2023, causing over $93 billion in damages. Since 1980, tropical cyclones have been the costliest events, while severe storms are the most frequent. The document details how warming temperatures intensify specific hazards—such as increasing rainfall intensity and fueling stronger tropical cyclones—and notes that the average time between such disasters has shrunk from 82 days in the 1980s to 12 days in 2023.

Analysis by Climate Central indicates that human-caused climate change made the record-breaking warmth in Canada during December 2023 significantly more likely. While El Niño contributed to milder conditions, the report argues it was insufficient on its own to produce the observed records. The warmth led to delayed ice road openings in the North and disrupted winter sports and skating in provinces like Ontario and British Columbia.

2023 was the hottest year on record, reaching 1.4°C above the 1881-1910 baseline. This warming is driven by unprecedented levels of carbon pollution from fossil fuels, leading to more frequent and intense extreme weather events globally.

In 2023, the contiguous U.S. experienced its 5th-hottest year on record, with an annual average temperature 2.4°F above the 20th century average. The year saw a record 28 billion-dollar disasters, resulting in an estimated 492 lives lost and over $93 billion in damages. Severe storms were the primary driver, accounting for 68% of these events. The frequency of such disasters has increased significantly, with the average time between events dropping to 12 days in 2023, compared to 82 days in the 1980s.

The analysis finds that all regions of India experienced net warming in March and April since 1970, with the fastest March warming in Jammu and Kashmir. The probability of temperatures exceeding 40°C during late March has expanded from three states in the 1970s to nine states in 2024, with Bilaspur currently facing the highest risk at 31%.

The document highlights that 2023 is virtually certain to be the hottest year on record, driven by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. It details the resulting increase in extreme weather events, the long-term trend of rapid warming since the industrial revolution, and the necessity of transitioning to clean energy to meet global climate targets.