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Climate Change Indicators in the United States

More Evidence of Our Changing Climate

EPA has updated its set of indicators with more recent data and new interactive maps.
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Widespread Decrease in Spring Snowpack

Snowpack is declining at more than 90 percent of long-term measurement sites across the western U.S.
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Drought Persists in the Southwest

Recently added data continue to show the scale of the droughts currently gripping California and neighboring states.
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Arctic Sea Ice Shrinks to a Record Low

Maximum Arctic sea ice extent, measured every year in March, was the smallest on record in 2015.
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New Maps Reveal State Trends in Growing Season

The length of the frost-free season has increased in nearly every state.
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Get the Report

• Full 2014 report (PDF) (112 pp, 24.1MB)
• Highlights brochure, technical documentation, and earlier editions
• Order print copies or send inquiries by emailing: climateindicators@epa.gov.

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Key Findings

The Earth’s climate is changing. Temperatures are rising, snow and rainfall patterns are shifting, and more extreme climate events—like heavy rainstorms and record high temperatures—are already taking place. Scientists are highly confident that many of these observed changes can be linked to the climbing levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, which are caused by human activities.

EPA partners with over 40 data contributors from various government agencies, academic institutions, and other organizations to compile and communicate key indicators related to the causes and effects of climate change. The 30 indicators presented here are published in EPA’s Climate Change Indicators in the United States report.

Explore this website or download the latest report to learn more about the changes we are seeing now. Indicators are updated periodically on the Web as newer data become available. For additional information about EPA’s climate change indicators, see Frequent Questions.

* = updated in summer 2015

Climate Change Indicators

• Greenhouse Gases
• U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions*
• Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Atmospheric Concentrations of Greenhouse Gases*
• Climate Forcing*

• Weather and Climate
• U.S. and Global Temperature*
• High and Low Temperatures*
• U.S. and Global Precipitation*
• Heavy Precipitation*
• Drought*
• Tropical Cyclone Activity*

• Oceans
• Ocean Heat*
• Sea Surface Temperature*
• Sea Level*
• Ocean Acidity

• Snow and Ice
• Arctic Sea Ice*
• Glaciers*
• Lake Ice*
• Snowfall*
• Snow Cover*
• Snowpack*

• Health and Society
• Heating and Cooling Degree Days*
• Heat-Related Deaths*
• Lyme Disease*
• Length of Growing Season*
• Ragweed Pollen Season

• Ecosystems
• Wildfires*
• Streamflow
• Great Lakes Water Levels and Temperatures*
• Bird Wintering Ranges
• Leaf and Bloom Dates*

* = updated in summer 2015

Features

• A Closer Look
• Temperature and Drought in the Southwest*
• Land Loss Along the Atlantic Coast

• Community Connection
• Ice Breakup in Two Alaskan Rivers*
• Cherry Blossom Bloom Dates in Washington, D.C.*

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