Jim Bonner used to associate mockingbirds with the southern part of the United States.
His backyard is home to one, it’s indicative of how weather changes have impacted the avian species, and likely will continue for other types of birds.
“I see more mockingbirds now that I ever did 20 years ago,” said Bonner, executive director of the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania. “Their range has continued to expand northward.”
Birds that make their homes in backyards across the region are likely to be affected by the ongoing warming of the planet as a result of climate change. On Friday, several weather monitoring agencies announced 2024 was Earth’s hottest year ever, the Associated Press reported.
The National Weather Service in Moon reported this month that 2024 was the warmest year on record for the Pittsburgh region with an average mean temperature of 56.4 degrees The previous record was set in 1921 at 55.4 degrees.
Over the next 25 years, climate change is predicted to affect many aspects of daily life for Pennsylvanians. Among those predictions are:
• It’s going to be warmer — the average temperature in Pennsylvania is expected to increase by nearly 6 degrees by 2050 and the number of 90-degree days will rise, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Climate Impacts Assessment for 2021. Heat waves are expected to become increasingly common and the time of year when weather can be warm may bleed into spring and fall, reducing the amount of time without frost, according to Community Climate Outlook assessments spearheaded by a partnership led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
By 2070, Westmoreland County could see an average of 10 to 24 days above 95 degrees, while Allegheny County could expect 13 to 30 days above that benchmark per year, according to the assessments.
• It’s going to be wetter — the average annual precipitation could increase by 8%, the state assessment says, predicting heavier precipitation events, which could increase risks for flooding and other disasters, such as landslides and sinkholes.
The changes experts expect for Pennsylvania through the next couple decades could have impacts on public health, agriculture, recreation, wildlife, forests and infrastructure, among others. But some of those changes are already being felt, experts said.
“We’re seeing increased extremes, there’s no doubt about that,” said Brett Anderson, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather. “Climate change is going to affect everybody in many ways.”
That impact has the potential to hit wallets, too. A July 2023 study by the Center for Climate Integrity found that Pennsylvania’s municipal governments will have to spend at least $15.47 billion by 2040 to protect residents. Those costs would include installing air conditioning in schools, boosting storm drainage capacity and increasing road maintenance.
The study estimated the City of Pittsburgh would be facing $31 million i
