Wisconsinites urged to prepare for wetter, warmer climate
(WSAW) — Communities across Wisconsin have experienced a range of severe weather over the past two months.
According to the state Climatology Office, April was the wettest on record this year across the state. May was the fourth driest since data tracking began in 1895.
However, June is Wisconsin’s peak month for severe weather. So, severe storms that are expected on Wednesday and Thursday are not out of the ordinary, but the director of Wisconsin’s Climatology Office, Steve Vavrus, said the state can expect it to be wetter as the climate warms. He explained warmer air can hold more water vapor.
“When you get really, really muggy air like we have today, when conditions are right to trigger a storm, like we’re expecting tomorrow and Thursday, there’s just more moisture to wring out,” said Vavrus. “So instead of maybe an inch of rain in the past from that kind of a storm, maybe now we’re getting an inch and a half or two inches.”
Seasons are shifting
Vavrus explained the most recent data and models show wetter conditions are part of Wisconsin’s future, with the summer season expanding into May and September. Heavy rainfalls that typically occur in summer are now happening more in April, May, September, and into October.
March has recently transitioned from a winter month to a spring month. In the past, much of March was spent with below-freezing temperatures in Wisconsin. Over the past decade, Vavrus explained that has changed to a majority of days in March being above freezing. That means more rain than snow, and the snow does not stick around as long.
Extreme swings from wet to dry
Vavrus said climatologists are not sure why there are great swings from really wet to really dry. He called the pattern “precipitation ping pong” and said it has been happening more regularly over the past three years.
“If it’s a harbinger of the future, it’s something that Wisconsinites need to be aware of, plan for, particularly in the agriculture sector, when your fields are often too wet or too dry, and it’s hard to get the just right periods,” Vavrus said.
He recommended Wisconsinites check if they have flood insurance, as very few homeowners have it and standard home policies do not cover flooding. He also suggested weather-proofing homes with measures like bigger gutters and more hail-resistant shingles.
The Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts released an assessment report this year with information on solutions and strategies for coping with the changing climate.
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