Quick Summary
- Sacramento temperatures expected to be 10 F higher by century鈥檚 end
- Sierra Nevada snowpack to nearly disappear by 2100, plus many other impacts
- Report suggests possible solutions for every challenge and threat posed to region
Over the next few decades, is expected to make the Sacramento region hotter, drier and increasingly prone to extremes like megadroughts, flooding and large wildfires. This is expected to strain the region鈥檚 infrastructure for water and energy transmission, agricultural systems, plants and wildlife, public health, housing, and quality of life for the growing region.
But there are many solutions at our disposal, which could grow the economy, create new jobs, and reduce climate threats on households, businesses and industry.
That鈥檚 according to the , one of 13 summary reports within The regional report was led by the University of California, Davis, and includes several solutions to minimize or avoid these threats between now and 2050.
鈥淭his is where Sacramento鈥檚 homeless and housing challenges intersect with climate threats,鈥 said coordinating lead author Benjamin Houlton, director of the John Muir Institute of the Environment and a member of the University of California鈥檚 Global Climate Leadership Council. 鈥淐limate change is a threat multiplier for just about everything we depend on and value. A climate-smart Sacramento transforms this major challenge into a better economy, creating a cleaner, healthier and more just community for all.鈥
Extreme heat
The Sacramento Valley will likely see daily maximum temperatures increase by 10 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century. In Sacramento鈥檚 Midtown, the average number of extreme heat days, where temperatures are 104 degrees Fahrenheit and above, is expected to increase from four days a year to 40 days by 2100.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a different world for us and especially our kids,鈥 Houlton said. 鈥淭o cope with rising temperatures, we need to start learning from communities like Phoenix, Arizona, that look like now what we may look like in the future.鈥
Parts of Sacramento with extensive asphalt surfaces and roofs, without much tree shade, are up to 7 degrees warmer in the summer compared to the metropolitan average.
To reduce heat exposure for residents, the report suggests planting trees to shade parking and neighborhoods, using green-building design like cool roofs, and opening public cooling centers where citizens without air conditioning can go during high temperature extremes.
Floods
Sacramento is one of the major U.S. cities at greatest risk for catastrophic flooding. A mega-flood such as that seen in the 鈥淕reat Flood鈥 of 1861-1862, which flooded most of the valley, is much more likely by 2100. Subside