edu.ucar.opensky::articles:22077 UCAR/NCAR - Library OpenSky Support PO Box 3000 Boulder CO 80307-3000 opensky@ucar.edu http://opensky.ucar.edu/ homepage pointOfContact 2025-12-25T15:50:58.402930 ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata - Part 2: Extensions for Imagery and Gridded Data ISO 19115-2:2009(E) https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7cz3b3t Reframing future risks of extreme heat in the United States 2018-09-01T00:00:00Z publication https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d7cz3b3t https://doi.org/10.1029/2018EF000943 Wobus, C. author Zarakas, C. author Malek, P. author Sanderson, Benjamin author Crimmins, A. author Kolian, M. author Sarofim, M. author Weaver, C. P. author UCAR/NCAR - Library publisher The goal of this study is to reframe the analysis and discussion of extreme heat projections to improve communication of future extreme heat risks in the United States. We combine existing data from 31 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 models to examine future exposure to extreme heat for global average temperatures of 1.5, 2, 3, and 4 degrees C above a preindustrial baseline. We find that throughout the United States, historically rare extreme heat events become increasingly common in the future as global temperatures rise and that the depiction of exposure depends in large part on whether extreme heat is defined by absolute or relative metrics. For example, for a 4 degrees C global temperature rise, parts of the country may never see summertime temperatures in excess of 100 degrees F, but virtually all of the country is projected to experience more than 4 weeks per summer with temperatures exceeding their historical summertime maximum. All of the extreme temperature metrics we explored become more severe with increasing global average temperatures. However, a moderate climate scenario delays the impacts projected for a 3 degrees C world by almost a generation relative to the higher scenario and prevents the most extreme impacts projected for a 4 degrees C world. UCAR/NCAR - Library OpenSky Support PO Box 3000 Boulder CO 80307-3000 opensky@ucar.edu http://opensky.ucar.edu/ homepage pointOfContact PDF Text theme Resource Type 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z publication Copyright author(s). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. None eng geoscientificInformation