Welcome to the Tampa Bay Climate Change Indicators dashboard. This dashboard provides an overview of climate change indicators for Tampa Bay, Florida. The dashboard is intended to provide a snapshot of climate change indicators in Tampa Bay and to help inform decision-making and planning for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

To learn more about each of the data sources, click on the descriptions below...

Air temperature data is sourced from PRISM (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model) climate data. PRISM provides high-quality spatial climate data sets developed by Oregon State University. The data includes:

  • Daily minimum and maximum temperatures
  • Coverage: Conterminous US from 1981 to present
  • Resolution: 4km grid cells
  • Data is typically updated within 24 hours

Data stability levels:

  • Stable: data is considered final (before 6 months)
  • Provisional: may be updated (previous 6 months)
  • Early: preliminary data (this month)

For more details, see the PRISM update schedule

Precipitation data is sourced from PRISM, providing:

  • Daily precipitation totals (rain and snow)
  • Coverage: Conterminous US from 1981 to present
  • Resolution: 4km grid cells
  • Values in millimeters (mm)
  • 30-year normals (1981-2010) used for analysis since 2004
  • Prior to 2004, 30-year normals from 1961-1990 were used

Data is processed through a combined dataset of ground gauge station and RADAR products. Updates follow the same schedule as temperature data, see the PRISM update schedule for details.

Sea level data comes from NOAA Tides & Currents stations, providing:

  • Monthly mean sea level measurements
  • Long-term sea level trends
  • Relative sea level changes that reflect both:
    • Changes in local sea level over time
    • Vertical land motion
  • Critical for coastal applications including:
    • Coastal mapping
    • Marine boundary delineation
    • Coastal zone management
    • Sustainable habitat restoration design

Data is collected through the National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON) and processed according to NOAA’s quality control standards.

Sea surface temperature (SST) data is obtained from NOAA’s Coral Reef Watch satellite observations via ERDDAP, featuring:

  • Daily sea surface temperature measurements
  • High-resolution satellite imagery
  • Coverage of the entire Tampa Bay region
  • Temperature values in degrees Celsius
  • Important for monitoring:
    • Marine ecosystem health
    • Potential impacts on marine life
    • Long-term climate trends

Data is updated daily and provides near real-time monitoring capabilities for the Tampa Bay region.

Hurricane data is sourced from NOAA’s International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS):

  • Historical storm tracks and intensities
  • Coverage: Atlantic Basin
  • Information includes:
  • Critical for understanding:
    • Storm frequency trends
    • Intensity patterns
    • Regional vulnerability

Data is maintained by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) and includes records from multiple tropical cyclone forecast centers.

Air Temperature
Rain
Ocean Temperature
Hurricanes
Sea Level
Air Temperature - Map of Then vs Now
Air Temperature - Day of year for all years
Precipitation - Map of Then vs Now
Rain, year to date - Day of year for all years
Map of sea level stations
Plot of sea levels
Sea Surface Temperate - Map of Then vs Now
Sea Surface Temperature - Day of year for all years
Map of hurricane tracks
Plot of hurricanes over time