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Delineating and characterizing changes in heat wave events across the United States climate regions

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Abstract

Exposure to extreme heat, or heat waves, represents a public health threat as well as an environmental health threat. With projections for further increases in temperature in some regions, resulting from global environmental change, it is important to understand the spatiotemporal impacts of heat waves in order to minimize risk. To understand heat wave impacts, one cannot look solely at the spatial and temporal temperature regimes but much also consider key heat wave characteristics: duration, size, magnitude, frequency, and region of impact. To understand the consequences of heat wave events, it is critical to analyze such extreme events based on the cumulative impacts of these characteristics. This study, which is conducted across the whole of the continental United States, looks to map and analyze such cumulative impacts of heat wave characteristics. Heat waves were spatially defined for the period of May–September of each year. Using persistence analyses and the development of a new index (combined heat wave characteristics index (CHCI)), we can define regions of consistent heat wave exposure and impact. Results show that there are large differences across the United States in terms of heat wave exposure and impacting heat wave characteristics. Across much of the analysis, a clear east versus west difference in patterns is seen. Overall, such work shows how and where differing but covarying heat wave characteristics impact the United States. Information from this work can be combined with demographic and health metrics to better pinpoint susceptibility to heat waves—and therefore inform better management decisions.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the reviewers for their time and effort on our manuscript.

Funding

This research received support from the National Science Foundation under Award BCS-2203235. This research received support from the National Science Foundation under Award BCS-1853775.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Environment and, Spatial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Dan Wanyama, Erin L. Bunting & Nicholas Weil

  2. Remote Sensing and GIS Research and Outreach Services, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Dan Wanyama, Erin L. Bunting & Nicholas Weil

  3. Department of Geography, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    David Keellings

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  1. Dan Wanyama
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  2. Erin L. Bunting
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Contributions

EB conceived the study and developed the methodology. DW led the data analysis. DW, EB, and DK led in writing and interpretation of results. EB and DK completed the edits and response to reviewers. NW assisted with the data analysis.

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Correspondence to Erin L. Bunting.

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Wanyama, D., Bunting, E.L., Weil, N. et al. Delineating and characterizing changes in heat wave events across the United States climate regions. Climatic Change 176, 6 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-022-03476-y

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