Climate Change and Extreme Weather: historical trends and future forecasts

Severe weather has plagued all parts of the US, including the Great Lakes, over the past decade, from floods to droughts, from blizzards to heavy thunderstorms, and from freezing cold to extreme heat. What has been causing such events? What types of weather should we expect to see in the future?

This webinar will cover:

  • weather and climate change
  • a discussion of recent weather events across the country
  • how climate change is likely to affect future extreme weather events and their frequency
  • resources that can help people understand and manage the impacts of extreme weather events and climate change

About the Speaker(s)

Martin Hoerling

Martin Hoerling

Dr. Martin Hoerling is a research meteorologist, specializing in climate dynamics in NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory located in Boulder, Colorado. He recently served as Convening Lead Author for the Southwest U.S. Assessment Report, a contribution to the upcoming National Climate Assessment. He was Lead Author for the US Climate Change Science Plan Synthesis and Assessment Report on “Attribution of the Causes of Climate Variations and Trends over North America” (2009). Dr. Hoerling has previously served as Chairman of the US CLIVAR (Climate Variability) research program.

His research interests include climate variability on seasonal to centennial time scales, focusing on air-sea interactions such as related to El Niño, and the role of oceans in climate variation and climate change, and understanding the physics of extreme weather/climate events. He received his Bachelors, Masters, and PhD degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, graduating in 1987.

Barbara Mayes Boustead

Barbara Mayes Boustead

Barbara Mayes Boustead is a forecast meteorologist and climate program manager at the National Weather Service office in Omaha/Valley, Nebraska. A Michigan native, Barbara obtained her Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees from Central Michigan University in 2000, with majors in meteorology, geography, and English, and minors in mathematics and history. Barbara earned a Master of Science degree in meteorology from The Pennsylvania State University in 2002, and she is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Natural Resources with a specialization in Climate Assessment and Impacts. Barbara’s professional and research interests include topics such as climate (including climate variability, change, extremes, applications, and impacts), historical weather and climate events, severe and extreme weather, and improving communication of weather and climate concepts.

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What Attendees Are Saying

  • “ Here in Minnesota we're using the webinars to provide current research updates. The information is pertinent and timely and by using the OSU webinars for content, we can spend time working on other aspects of climate adaptation. – B. Liukkonen, U of MN Extension

  • “ This is one of the most useful and accessible resources in the Great Lakes basin. Consider it a cornerstone of a growing network of climate professionals in this region. ”

  • “ Thank you, OSU, for providing such a useful tool! Keep’em coming! ”

  • “ Thanks for these webinars. A great resource. ”

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