We know that climate change means melting icebergs, rising coastlines, and warmer temperatures — but what changes will we see in our own backyard?

Scientists at the University of Illinois and the Illinois State Water Survey are working on the answers. Click on a button to see projected effects for different levels of warming in degrees Celsius. Then roll over the icon for an explanation, or click on the question mark to see even more details. In the control panel, you can see how these changes are distributed in changes in mean temperature and precipitation throughout the year.

Next — be sure to check out the scenarios and effects pages for more information about how different projections affect wildlife, health, agriculture, and comfort in Illinois.

Questions? Comments?

E-mail lindsay@ilchangegauge.com.

Please note

These illustrations are meant to give an idea of the changes that temperature increases could bring to Illinois in the future, based on the best scientific evidence currently available. These images do not make specific predictions about what will happen in the future. Though scientists have much information about trends and possible changes, many uncertainties remain and precise predictions are not currently possible.

The data for temperature and precipitation changes are taken from several models that interpret climate change models for Illinois. Each is meant to give an estimate, though not an exact prediction, of how temperature and precipitation changes would be distributed throughout the various months.

It is important to note that in some cases, the overall yearly change has been rounded. For example, the values for a 1-degree Celsius change actually correspond to a 0.94-degree change. The 2-degree change is an average of the values for the 1-degree change and a 3-degree (not rounded) change; the 4-degree change is precise; the 5-degree change corresponds to a 5.2-degree change, and the 6-degree change data differ most greatly, as they actually represent a 7.2-degree change. Rounded numbers were used because model predictions did not always produce the exact values needed.

A gauge of gratitude

Special thanks to scientist Xin-Zhong Liang at the Illinois State Water Survey for compiling the temperature and precipitation data for me, and for taking the time to explain all of the complex concepts in comprehensible terms.

Thanks also to all the other scientists and sources at the University of Illinois who have met with me for this project, including Donald Wuebbles, Carl Bernacchi, Donald Ort, Lisa Ainsworth, and many others. This project would not have been possible without these helpful sources.

Current-day temperature and precipitation data are for Urbana, Illinois, and are taken from The Federal Research Division Library of Congress' Country Studies series.