State of the climate: New Jersey 2013

State of the Climate: New Jersey provides an overview of recent climate events and trends, their impacts, and their implications for the future of New Jersey. The changes experienced in New Jersey will be examined in the context of human-induced climate change, an important driver of recent and future climate trends. the report begins with a discussion of the state of the climate on a global scale. This is followed by an analysis of local climate trends and recent extreme or unusual events and their impacts. Hurricane Sandy is the most noteworthy of these events, with estimated damages of approximately $50 billion in the region. The implications of future climate change for high-impact events such as Sandy will also be discussed. Sidebars in this report discuss selected impacts of climate change on New Jersey’s residents and resources