Climate Changes In Howard County

Climate change is clearly evident in the world around us and it is having and will continue to have a major impact on our lives. Therefore, it is very relevant to analyze the changes in climate that have occurred in Howard County, Maryland such as the significant changes in mean precipitation and timing of precipitation, winter temperature and the summer precipitation. Furthermore, it is crucial to understand that many of these changes will be clearly seen in the relatively near future if measures are not taken to prevent or at least delay them. Each climate variable will undergo a different magnitude of change in the region, and although predictions have been made, these changes are partially determined by human actions. These climate …show more content…
For instance, the county’s annual mean temperature will experience a relatively significant change within a short time period. According to the USGS (United States Geological Survey), the annual mean temperature for Howard County for the 1980-1999 base period was 10.07 degrees Celsius, while the potential annual mean temperature for the 2040-2049 period is 11.42 degrees Celsius (USGS). This future projection means that the annual mean temperature for Howard County may potentially increase by 1.35 degrees Celsius within a four decade time period. Moreover, the potential annual mean temperature for Howard County for the 2090-2099 period is 15.25 degrees Celsius, which represents a significant increase of 5.18 degrees Celsius from the 1980-1999 base period (USGS). In addition to rising temperatures having a significant impact on Howard County’s climate, there will also be an increase in mean precipitation. The Natural Conservancy’s Climate Wizard depicts this increase in the mean precipitation in a map of Maryland with several different colors that represent amounts of annual precipitation on a scale. For instance, Howard County region in the past 50 years has been yellow-green, signifying an average annual precipitation of 40 inches of rain, while …show more content…
However, the climate change will have major impacts on the land use, livelihood, living conditions and the environment of Howard County residents. For instance, according the Maryland government’s website, there will be an increase in natural disasters due to higher temperatures since “air traps more moisture at higher temperatures”, therefore leading to intense storms during rainy seasons and the winter, as well as floods (Maryland.gov). Urban flooding is already a major issue in Howard County as many of the county’s major cities are built near rivers, such as Ellicott City, which is a city that is also built on a steep hill. The increasing median temperature is also detrimental to the health of the residents living in Howard County, as heat leads to respiratory issues and heat stress can induce serious medical troubles, such as heat stroke (Maryland.gov). Finally, the land will not be as arable and farmers will have difficulty growing crops due to extremely high temperatures that will ultimately result in droughts