Regional Climate Projections
for the Transportation Sector
About the Project
Extreme Weather and Transportation
Extreme weather, such as severe storms, droughts and floods, and extreme temperatures, pose multifaceted hazards to transportation safety and state of repair.
Climate change is leading to changes in underlying trends in temperature and precipitation, which are likely to be outside of the range of historical environmental conditions from which many design standards are currently based.
Understanding regional climatic hazards is the first step necessary to adequately adapt to these changes and reduce the potential social, economic, and environmental impacts on the transportation system.
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Climate Projections are a Powerful Tool for Transportation Planning
This project, funded in part by the Southern Plains Transportation Center (SPTC) and in partnership with the South Central Climate Science Center, uses multiple climate datasets to identify historical trends and future climate scenarios for the 5-state region of Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and New Mexico.
Expert input regarding weather conditions of concern, key thresholds, data access and quality, and data and information needs were gathered through an online survey. Some specific variables of interest included:
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heavy precipitation
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winter weather
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freeze-thaw cycles
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temperature extremes
We then undertook a comprehensive climate data analysis using both historical observations and future climate projections from
a suite of statistically downscaled global climate models encompassing two emissions scenarios (‘mid-range’, and ‘high’).
Using a large suite of data from multiple sources allows for an assessment of spread in climate projections, allowing us to capture a broader range of possible future conditions. The results of our investigations produced some specific projections for
each state, as well as a series of datasets and graphics that can be made available by contacting the project principle investigators or co-investigator.
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About the Southern Plains Transportation Center (SPTC)
The SPTC mission is twofold: to develop comprehensive, cost-effective, and imminently implementable solutions to critical infrastructure-related issues facing the transportation systems of the region and the nation and to prepare transportation professionals for leadership roles in professional and research careers in support of the nation’s transportation systems. Learn more at http://www.sptc.org/.
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About the South Central Climate Science Center (SC CSC)
Established in 2012, the SC CSC provides decision makers with the science, tools, and information they need to address the impacts of climate variability and change on their areas of responsibility. The Center supports big thinking, including multi-institutional and stakeholder-driven approaches to assessing the impact of climate extremes on natural and cultural resources. Learn more at http://southcentralclimate.org/.
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