How hot will it be? Translating climate model outputs for public health practice in the United States

What meteorological factors are going to change? How much will they change? Will there be spatial variation? These are foundational issues for public health agencies in preparing for the impacts of climate change. In the wake of the Building Resilience Against Climate Effects (BRACE) framework developed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), health agencies in the United States are using forecasted meteorological data to monitor health vulnerabilities across populations and places resulting from climate change.

The available suite of climate model predictions – with nuances on spatial scale, range of hypothetical socioeconomic and greenhouse gas emission futures, uncertainties associated with climate predictions, voluminous data and specific data formats – make processing and interpretation of climate projection information challenging for public health professionals. There is a need for translation of complex climate science for public health practitioners for problem assessment and design of health interventions.