Raw data for a raw landscape
By 2080, climate models agree that California stands to experience a decrease in average rainfall accompanied with an increase in average temperatures.
Using multi-model averages from 16 recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change climate projections — and assuming the "A2" future scenario that, albeit pessimistic, reflects conceivable rates of global greenhouse gas emissions — I analyzed impacts across three major land types: urban areas, croplands and rangelands. [It's Raining Spiders! Weirdest Effects of California Drought ]
From the data, three alarming conclusions emerge:
Temperatures in California are expected to rise on average by 7 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) by 2080.
Rainfall at that time will plummet between 2 to 16 percent below current levels.
All of these lands will be exposed to varying degrees of impacts.
Combined, those changes will have a devastating effect on cities, crops and ranching operations across the state.