America is warming.
The only question left is: how much will we let it?
For over a century, America's climate has shifted
temperatures rising, rainfall patterns changing, seasons becoming less predictable.
But the pace of change is accelerating.
Depending on the emissions path we take, the difference in outcomes by 2100 is staggering, not just in degrees, but in what daily life looks like for every American.
The choice isn't made yet.
Explore the three futures below and see what each one means for your state.
Three possible futures.
SSP stands for Shared Socioeconomic Pathway — scientific scenarios that describe how human choices about energy, land use, and emissions shape our climate future.
SSP1-2.6 (Optimistic) — We aggressively cut emissions. Warming stays manageable.
SSP2-4.5 (Middle Road) — We make some changes, but not enough. Warming is significant.
SSP5-8.5 (Worst Case) — We continue as usual. By 2100, the consequences are severe.
The future of America's climate is in our hands. Explore what different emissions choices mean for every state from 2015 to 2100.
Colors show change relative to each state's 1995–2014 average, not absolute temperature.
Climate change is not a single outcome, it is a spectrum of futures, each shaped by the decisions we make today. Under the worst case scenario, the average July in Minnesota becomes hotter than today's average July in Tennessee. Alaska warms by over 10°F. The American Southwest faces extreme heat and drying that strains water supplies for millions.
But the optimistic scenario tells a different story. With aggressive emissions reductions, warming is limited, precipitation patterns stabilize, and the most catastrophic outcomes are avoided. The difference between these two futures is not inevitable, it is a choice.
Our visualization succeeds at showing that story because it makes the abstract personal. Instead of global averages and scientific reports, you can see exactly what warming means for the state you live in, the season you care about, and the future your children will inherit. The data becomes a mirror, and what it reflects is up to us to change.
Every state. Every season. Every degree of warming. It all comes down to what we decide to do next.