National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Extreme Weather Thresholds

This NOAA SARP Funded project piloted a participatory process to identify locally relevant critical thresholds for extreme events, and use these thresholds to customize climate projections to community-specific needs. Identifying and better understanding critical thresholds for extreme events is key to developing effective community responses to climate change. We are grateful have had the opportunity to collaborate with an amazing team of project partners: SCIPP, CLIMAS, WWA, ISET-International and Atmos Research and four communities in the South Central U.S. Boulder, CO, Las Cruces, NM, Miami, OK and San Angelo, TX.  Our team conducted 10 workshops to identify, refine, and discuss, extreme weather thresholds that matter to the communities.

The pilot communities received grant funding to take action and build resilience. The projects they selected include: developing a lesson on extreme weather and preparedness for 8th graders in Miami, OK and designing and installing a rainwater harvesting system in a local park to demonstrate city leadership, save money, water trees, and be better prepared for drought in San Angelo, TX. Las Cruces leveraged this plan and encouraged the Public Works department to provide $200,000 in matching funds for a community block grant to make a $400,000 investment in enhancing green infrastructure in the traditionally underserved neighborhood. 

For more details on this project you can:

• Read case studies for the cities -

  • Boulder, CO

  • Miami, OK

  • Las Cruces, NM

  • San Angelo, TX

• Review the Project Overview or the Full Project Report

• Watch videos Describing the Project and some of the Project Outputs