A Record of Historical Temperature Change from 1893 to 2021, Southwest Ohio, United States of America
Abstract
A local record of historical temperature change from 1893 to 2021 was established for a region centered in southwest Ohio, United States. Temperature records were examined from 8 weather stations located in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky, all within a radius of 50 miles (approximately 80 km) from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. Results indicate that annual minimum temperatures increased by approximately 0.11 °F (0.060 °C) per decade between 1893 to 2021, with a total increase of 1.4 °F (0.78 °C) over the 128-year study period ( p < 2 × 10-16, R2 = 0.74). Spring and summer minimum temperatures increased by 2.0 °F (1.1 °C) and 1.5 °F (0.83 °C) respectively, whereas fall and winter minimum temperatures increased by 1.1 °F (0.63 °C) and 0.77 °F (0.43 °C), respectively. Annual maximum temperatures increased by approximately 0.071 °F (0.039 °C) per decade, resulting in a total increase of 0.90 °F (0.50 °C) over the study period ( p < 2 × 10-16, R2 = 0.74). The largest observed increase in maximum temperatures occurred during the spring (1.7 °F; 0.94 °C), with fall (1.6 °F; 0.88 °C), and winter (1.6 °F; 0.88 °C) maximum temperatures increasing similarly. No change was observed in summer maximum temperatures. Historical temperature trends in the region studied broadly match state and regional temperature compilations for the lower Midwest, with greater warming occurring during spring and negligible warming in summer. This analysis indicates local datasets complement regional climate compilations and models, as well as help to identify geographic variation in temperature trends critical for assessing local vulnerabilities and informing regional mitigation strategies for climate change.
How to Cite:
O'Connor, A., Cardona, N., Zhang, J., Levy, J. & Rech, J., (2025) “A Record of Historical Temperature Change from 1893 to 2021, Southwest Ohio, United States of America”, The Ohio Journal of Science 124(2), 36-46. doi: https://doi.org/10.18061/ojs.v124i2.9627
Rights: Abigale O'Connor, Nathan Cardona, Jing Zhang, Jonathan Levy, Jason A. Rech
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