Abstract:

The greatest impacts of future climate change will be experienced during extreme events. Both heat waves and heavy precipitation show a clear link to a warming climate and these impacts are now emerging. This talk will present recent research using a high-resolution climate model on heat waves and heavy precipitation in the Pacific Northwest. The goal of this research is to better understand how local climate processes and terrain effects control the distribution and intensity of these extreme events in order to provide better guidance for local agencies in planning for future impacts.