Growing evidence suggests that the climate of the Great Lakes region is already changing:

• Winters are getting shorter.
• Annual average temperatures are growing warmer.
• The duration of lake ice cover is decreasing as air and water temperatures rise.
• Heavy rainstorms are becoming more common.

This report examines these trends in detail and discusses the likelihood that they will continue into the future. The consequences of these climatic changes will magnify the impacts of ongoing human disturbances that fragment or transform landscapes, pollute air and water, and disrupt natural ecosystems and the vital goods and services they provide. Confronting Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region explores the potential consequences of climate change, good and bad, for the character, economy, and environment of the Great Lakes region during the coming century. It also examines actions that can be taken now to help forestall many of the most severe consequences of climate change for North America’s heartland.