From seemingly endless heat waves in the west to catastrophic floods from Kentucky to Pakistan, a drumbeat of extreme weather has dominated the news this summer. In Charlotte, it can feel like we’re not on the front lines of climate change — we’re not on the coast watching sea levels creep up, or out west watching rivers wither under record droughts — but we’re seeing the effects too. Hotter, muggier summers, heavier downpours, stronger storms. And we’re going to see more changes in the coming years.
There are few people watching our weather as closely as Brad Panovich, chief meteorologist for WCNC, and few people who provide as much information about our climate and post as prolifically, and on as many platforms. He joined the Future Charlotte podcast to discuss everything from why it feels like our summers are muggier and grosser-feeling than they used to be (hint: dewpoints), what Charlotte's climate will look like in the future and what we can do locally to address impacts such as more rainfall, flash floods and the biggest weather-related killer — heat. Panovich also lets us in on what's his favorite season, why Charlotte is a good place to be a meteorologist and what he'd change about Charlotte if he could change anything (it's not the weather).
Listen below, or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts.
Links
Brad Panovich gives people the 'straight facts' when it comes to climate change
Climate IQ: Connection between climate change and heat waves in Charlotte
