"Climate Roadshow" coming to Rhinelander

RHINELANDER, Wis. — The Wisconsin State Climatology Office is reaching out to rural communities to better prepare for extreme weather events. They aim to collaborate with locals to understand their needs and improve climate resilience.

Since 1980, Wisconsin has faced 63 weather or climate disasters with losses surpassing $1 billion each. These disasters include floods, tornadoes, winter storms, and droughts.

Josh Bendorf, a climate outreach specialist with the Wisconsin State Climatology Office, highlighted the changing climate in Wisconsin.

“What we’ve seen over the past several decades is that winters have actually been the season that have warmed the most out of the four seasons in Wisconsin, and that is a trend that is right now projected to continue through the next few decades,” Bendorf said.

The office seeks input from rural communities to tailor climate information that aids decision-making.

“Extreme weather impacts all folks in Wisconsin, it can have very detrimental effects to businesses, infrastructure, that kind of thing,” said Bendorf.

The State Climatology Office is organizing a Climate Roadshow in Rhinelander this week. The event will feature a presentation on Wisconsin’s new weather monitoring network (which includes Rhinelander), as well as an opportunity for local residents to tell the office how they can better serve the needs of northern Wisconsin.

“We hope to have a good array of folks show up at this event, and just have discussions — what events are top of mind for people living in and around Rhinelander, and get some ideas for how we can better serve people through the information we provide,” Bendorf said.

The free event, open to all, will be held on Tuesday, December 2, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Newbold Community Center. Bendorf is especially interested in feedback from local government leaders, conservation groups, tribal leaders, and emergency managers.