Climate Change Indicators

Climate change indicators appear in different topic areas, and include physical, biological, chemical, and socioeconomic measures. The breadth of measures is because conditions affected by climate change such as sea level rise, temperature change, and increased ocean acidification can impact animals and plants and their habitats as well as humans throughout the region. These indicators help resource managers assess climate change’s current impacts on the the Sound, and project future trends.

Heavy Precipitation

The heavy precipitation indicator shows the frequency of heavy single-day rain or snow events over a year. These events exceed the normal frequency of heavy precipitation. View Indicator

Length of Growing Season

This indicator tracks the length of the growing season, which is the variation between the last frost of spring and the first frost of fall. View Indicator

Spring Freshet

The indicator tracks the time of the spring freshet (a measure of snow melt) on the Connecticut River to assess if there is a warming trend. View Indicator

Sea Level Trends

The Sea Level Rise indicator shows the average sea level at a given point, over a year. View Indicator

Water Temperature

Long-term annual water temperatures from 1960-2023, measured from multiple locations throughout the Long Island Sound. View Indicator

Warm Water/Cold Water Fish Index

This indicator tracks the species composition of fish that prefer colder temperatures and those that prefer warmer temperatures. View Indicator

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