Accelerating resiliency planning in communities across the Commonwealth

Search

The Climate Explorer

Home » Community Action » The Climate Explorer

The Climate Explorer

Home » Community Action » The Climate Explorer

The Climate ExplorerThe Climate Explorer gives users a way to check how climate conditions in the United States are projected to change over the coming decades. This information—derived from global climate models—is available for counties and county-equivalents for all 50 states and U.S. territories in the United States.

Built to accompany the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit, Climate Explorer graphs projections for two possible futures: one in which humans drastically reduce and stabilize global emissions of heat-trapping gases (labeled Lower emissions, also known as RCP4.5), and one in which we continue increasing emissions through the end of the 21st century (labeled Higher emissions, also known as RCP8.5). Note that only higher emissions projections are available for Alaska. Decision makers can check climate projections based on these two plausible futures and then plan according to their tolerance for risk and the timeframe of their decisions.

For the contiguous United States, the tool also displays observations of climate variables from 1950 to 2013. Users can compare observations to modeled history (results called hindcasts, or projections generated for the past) for the same period. Checking how observations compare to modeled history provides some insight on the models’ collective ability to reproduce past conditions. For temperature-related variables, the range of observations are generally within the envelope of modeled history (hindcasts), indicating model skill in simulating observed conditions. For some variables—especially precipitation-related variables—comparing observations with hindcasts reveals limitations of the models.

Click here to view the resource.

Become a Member
Become a Sponsor
Become a Volunteer

Sign Up for E-News

Get news and notifications from Resilient Virginia.

The Resilience Calendar

  • Purchasing Under FEMA Awards Training: Introduction
    Date: October 9, 2025
    Location: Virtual

    This training provides an overview of the federal procurement under grants rules for recipients and subrecipients when purchasing under a FEMA grant. This training is appropriate for FEMA award recipients and subrecipients, including: state,…

  • RVCA Water Infrastructure Working Group Meeting
    Date: October 9, 2025
    Location: Virtual

    Resilient Virginia Collaborative Alliance Water Infrastructure Working Group monthly meeting.  Anyone is welcome to join the conversation!

    RVCA Water Infrastructure Working Group
    Thursday, October 9 · 12:00 – 1:00pm
    Time zone: America/New_York<…

  • Appalachian Sustainable Development Barn To Run 4 Miler
    Date: October 12, 2025
    Location: Abingdon, VA, USA

    Join Appalachian Sustainable Development as they celebrate 30 years of growing a stronger Appalachia through Agriculture.  This family friendly event will be held at The Meadows in Abingdon, Va.  Wear your best fruit or veggie…

  • 2025 Renewable Thermal Collaborative
    Date: October 15, 2025
    Location: Washington, DC

    The RTC Summit is the only place where large industrial, institutional, and commercial energy users come together in person to accelerate renewable thermal solutions, connect with peers and renewable thermal providers, and overcome deployment…

Latest News & Resources

Fall 2025 with Resilient Virginia: Engaging Leaders, Empowering Action

This fall, Resilient Virginia is rolling out a lineup of virtual and in-person events aimed at bringing people together and sharing real-world tools for building stronger, more resilient communities across the state. From webinars and workshops to networking meetups, there’s something for everyone—whether you’re focused on agriculture, energy, infrastructure, the economy, or community development, or just getting started on your resilience journey.

Read More »

Upcoming Resilience Talks

Couldn’t attend every session at the recent Resilient Virginia Conference — or weren’t able to attend at all? You’re not alone—and we’ve got you covered.

Resilient Virginia is planning a series of post-conference sessions that will revisit the most in-demand topics from the conference—and the first three are happening soon!

Read More »

Where Resilience Meets Reality: Highlights from the 2025 Resilient Virginia Conference

Over 200 leaders, experts, and community advocates gathered at James Madison University this July for the 2025 Resilient Virginia Conference, themed “Moving Virginia Forward.” The two-day event offered a powerful mix of strategic insights, grassroots innovation, and hands-on learning—from climate-smart infrastructure and equity-driven planning to immersive experiences like the Science on a Sphere and FIRST Chesapeake’s “Robot Petting Zoo.”

Read More »