Portals for visualizing climate change data are interactive websites that allow users to produce maps and plots of projected future climate variables from one or more datasets.
We identify ten targeted portals that have additional features which complement the three comprehensive visualization portals. These targeted portals and tools provide a variety of data, analyses, and/or spatial coverage, offering additional capabilities that serve specific uses and use cases.
Also see our comparison table to compare specific features of all these portals.
NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory
Maps and time-series of regridded (not downscaled) CMIP5 projections.
Special features: Can show GCM model bias (historical observations vs. simulated), and the statistical significance of the projected climate change.
NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory
Maps of regridded (not downscaled) CMIP6 projections.
Special features: One of only a few tools with CMIP6 (30 models); can show GCM model bias (historical observations vs. simulated), and the statistical significance of the projected climate change. (Note: CMIP6 data are not corrected for the warm bias; see our Climate Model Primer for details.)
Conservation Biology Institute
Maps, time series, and summary stats from MACA CMIP5 projections, with additional impact modeling.
Special features: Future vegetation and carbon modeling.
Climate Impact Lab
Simple maps of temperature change from BCSD CMIP5 projections.
Special features: Shows estimated tails of the ensemble spread (5% and 95%); can look at U.S. or global changes.
IPCC
Maps, time series, and other charts from re-gridded (not downscaled) CMIP5 and CMIP6 projections.
Special features: Part of the 2021 IPCC WGI report; large CMIP6 ensemble (35 models); unique graphics, like warming stripes; global context; regional climate model (dynamically downscaled) output can be displayed. (Note: These CMIP6 data are not corrected for the warm bias; see our Climate Model Primer for details.)
KNMI and WMO
Time series and (low-resolution) maps from regridded (not downscaled) CMIP5 and CMIP6 projections.
Special features: Hydrology variables come directly from the GCMs (vs. standalone hydrology models); largest CMIP5 ensemble (42 models); global from European Assessment. (Note: These CMIP6 data are not corrected for the warm bias; see our Climate Model Primer for details.)
Conservation Biology Institute
Maps and scatterplots from downscaled CMIP5 projections, highlighting ecologically relevant variables.
Special features: Many future climate variables and ecological resilience metrics derived from climate; multi-color scatterplots.
Climate Impacts Group, U. of Washington
Ensemble-spread plots of future temperature and precipitation from non-downscaled CMIP5 and CMIP6 projections, for the Pacific Northwest (WA, OR, western ID).
Special features: One of only a few tools with CMIP6 (18 models); direct comparison of CMIP5 v. CMIP6. (Note: These CMIP6 data are not corrected for the warm bias; see our Climate Model Primer for details.)
U. Cal-Berkeley and CA Energy Commission
Maps, time series, and other charts of future climate and impacts from LOCA downscaled CMIP5, focused on California; most tools also cover NV and parts of OR, ID, UT, AZ.
Special features: Local Climate Change Snapshot, Extreme Heat, Extended Drought tools; most tools show individual projections, to better visualize model spread and variability.
Environmental Protection Agency
Maps and summary statistics for three future climate scenarios based on non-downscaled CMIP5 projections (RCP8.5 only).
Special features: Small set of climate scenarios captures much of the range of the full GCM ensemble but is easier to work with; focuses on use by water utilities.