WICCI’s Climate Working Group investigates Wisconsin’s changing climate using a blend of observations and models. We bring together climate experts to understand and assess Wisconsin’s past, present, and future climates.
One of our most important products is downscaled projections of future climate conditions across the state, based on statistical and dynamical (regional climate models) downscaling methods. These projections of temperature and precipitation are used by other WICCI working groups to assess and prepare for future impacts of climate change throughout Wisconsin.
Near-Term Goals
- Analyze past and current climatic trends in Wisconsin using the nClimDiv data set and station observations
- Assess and evaluate our most updated set of statistically and dynamically downscaled climate projections (released in summer 2019)
- Distribute these data sets publicly and collaborate with other WICCI working groups to evaluate the expected impacts of future climate change on Wisconsin’s resources
Stakeholders and Partners
- Dane County Office of Energy and Climate Change
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services
- University of Wisconsin Division of Extension
- Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science (NIACS)
Members
- David Lorenz, Associate Scientist, Center for Climatic Research, UW-Madison
- Michael Notaro, Senior Scientist and Associate Director, Center for Climatic Research, UW-Madison
- Steve Vavrus, Senior Scientist, Center for Climatic Research, UW-Madison
- Dan Vimont, Professor, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences; Director, Center for Climatic Research, UW-Madison