California Releases Fifth Climate Change Assessment: About 4 Degrees Warmer by 2050, Snowpack Down Over 40 Percent
California released the first research findings of its Fifth Climate Change Assessment on October 19 in Sacramento. The multiyear research effort was led by the Governor's Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) together with the California Natural Resources Agency, the California Strategic Growth Council and the California Energy Commission, with state, academic, tribal and community partners.
The assessment projects that by 2050, average temperatures across California will rise by roughly 4 degrees Fahrenheit above 2010s levels, with summertime highs rising 2.7 to 3.6 degrees. By midcentury, the state's snowpack is expected to shrink by more than 40 percent, and up to 75 percent of California's beaches could be lost.
On economic costs, the assessment's Climate Impacts to the Economy report estimates that by 2050, climate change could impose up to $26.6 billion a year in health damages in California, including early deaths, hospitalizations and lost productivity; households statewide could pay some $15 billion more each year for cooling, insurance and repairs; and agriculture could lose $1 billion to $9 billion a year if future conditions resemble the extremes of the early 2000s. The largest monetized damages fall in health and labor, the report found.
"As the Trump administration turns its back on science, California is doubling down on climate action, on protecting our communities, and on building a safer future," Governor Gavin Newsom said in the release. "We are putting the latest science to work so communities across the state have the tools to confront the climate crisis head-on."
Samuel Assefa, Director of the Governor's Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, said the Fifth Assessment reflects years of research involving government, academic, tribal and community partners, and that its climate science can serve as a cornerstone for policy and investment decisions at the state, regional and local levels.
California has completed four prior assessments since 2006, most recently in 2018. Since then the state has experienced record-breaking wildfires, catastrophic atmospheric river storms, prolonged droughts and increasingly severe extreme heat. The remaining topical reports and nine regional reports will be released over the coming weeks, ahead of a statewide summit in San Diego in early 2027.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于加州橙县的 Crystal Cove 海滩。NorbertNagel 摄，维基共享资源，CC BY-SA 4.0／Photo: Crystal Cove beach in Orange County, California. By NorbertNagel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
