Developed through collaboration between The Nature Conservancy, The University of Washington, and The University of Southern Mississippi, the Climate Wizard enables technical and non-technical audiences alike to easily and intuitively access leading climate change information and visualize the impacts anywhere on Earth. Climate Wizard Custom is a new tool where a user can define a relatively small geographic area of interest and conduct site-specific analyses using both historical data and possible future conditions that are based on low (B1), moderate (A1B), and high (A2) carbon emissions scenarios. Sixteen general circulation models are available to provide a range of possible outcomes, and users can analyze absolute and percentage changes in annual, seasonal or monthly climate conditions in graphic or map form. Since the large climate datasets are stored and analyzed remotely on powerful computers, users of the tool do not need to have fast computers or expensive software, but simply need access to the internet. Using web technologies to develop tools that make climate change analysis more accessible scientists, managers, and policy makers now have the ability to assess the potential impacts of climate change and help guide decisions and actions to prepare for and mitigate those impacts to natural systems and the services they provide.
