“A crystal ball for the Pacific Northwest” (HCN, 4/27/15) gives us a good summary of what may happen to precipitation in the Pacific Northwest in coming years, but says little about what may happen to temperatures. However, the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute makes it clear: “Every global climate model used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects an annual temperature increase for the Pacific Northwest over the 21st century.” The amount ranges from about 3 degrees Fahrenheit, under low emissions, to about 9 degrees, under high, by 2080. Even if precipitation does not decrease, what looks like an undoubted major increase in future temperatures will have major effects on the region’s environment.
Peter Bridges
Crested Butte, Colorado
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Warm Northwest.
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