SF Chron: Study predicts a much hotter, drier California

[Newsjock]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/08/01/WARMING.TMP

California will become significantly hotter and drier by the end of the century, causing severe air pollution, a drop in the water supply, melting of 90 percent of the Sierra snowpack and up to six times more heat-related deaths in major urban centers, according to a sweeping study compiled with help from respected scientists from around the country.

The weather -- up to 10.5 degrees warmer by 2100 -- would make last month's heat wave look average. If industrial and vehicle emissions continue unabated, there could be up to 100 more days a year when temperatures hit 90 degrees or above in Los Angeles and 95 degrees or above in Sacramento. Both cities have about 20 days of such extreme heat now.

The good news: If emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are significantly curtailed, according to the report released Tuesday, the number of extremely hot days might only increase by half that amount.

The report, released by the California Environmental Protection Agency, comes from the California Climate Change Center, established three years ago by the California Energy Commission. Scripps Institution of Oceanography and UC Berkeley are responsible for the core research and about 75 scientists from universities, government agencies and nonprofit groups contributed to the report, which has been billed as a layperson's guide to technical documents prepared in support of initiatives to address global warming by Gov. Schwarzenegger and legislators.

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Full report here (pdf)

[kestrel91316]

1. It's already noticeably hotter here than 20 years ago................

We JUST had 119 degrees here a week ago. If we can expect more of the same, I will NOT be able to stay much longer. It's not liveable when it gets that hot, and if the power fails and AC goes down, LOTS of people will die.

[argyl]

2. It was 119 degrees in Los Angeles? Was that the highest

recorded temperature ever there? That's really awful, Mojave Desert type temperature.

[kestrel91316]

4. Yep. Highest temp EVER recorded in LA COUNTY, not just the city.

LA County includes parts of the Mojave - Palmdale and Lancaster area.

Right here in Woodland Hills is where the record was set. One of LA's dirty little secrets is that our area (West end of the San Fernando Valley) often beats out Palm Springs for heat.

And you thought we had a beautiful climate year-round here...........just PR BS.

[Trajan]

3. Trajan 'predicted' that 5 years ago ....

Trajan actually simply decided he was sick of the heat, as it was, and was ready to go to cooler climes ....

After paying a $450 Electric/AC bill, I decided that SOMETHING had to give ..... But dayum: it HAS gotten much hotter than anyone expected ....

The NW is respite, for now .....