That's the broad finding in the latest climate change report from the White House, which finds that extreme weather patterns are becoming more common nationwide as a result of steadily rising temperatures. Perhaps worse, the report warns that swift action must be taken to mitigate the effects now, or we'll be stuck with an enormous tab down the road.
Most of the U.S. has seen average temperatures rise by almost two degrees Fahrenheit over the past century and change, scientists found. And that uptick has already had a range of negative — and often disparate —consequences across the country, from worsening droughts in the Southwest to increasing instances of heavy precipitation in the Northeast. If emissions of heat-trapping gasses aren't reigned in soon, the report says, temperatures will continue to rise unchecked, which could have disastrous impacts on everything from seasonal allergies to crop yields.
"Climate change, once considered an issue for a distant future, has moved firmly into the present," the report found.
Read the whole report here.