The Rural Partnerships Institute (RPI) in collaboration with the Wisconsin State Climatology Office and Wisconet organized roadshows this past winter to better understand the weather information needs of communities across the state. The events, which included presentations and listening sessions, also gave organizers an idea of how extreme weather events are affecting rural communities.
Three roadshows were held in different areas of the state. The first, in December, was held in Newbold in northern Wisconsin. The team then visited West Salem on the western side of the state in late January. The final event, in February, took place in Wisconsin Rapids in the Central Sands region. Attendees included local residents, Tribal representatives, local government officials and non-profit groups.
Organizers shared resources and available weather monitoring tools such as Wisconet and, in turn, asked stakeholders at each location what pressing weather and climate-related questions they had. The team was especially interested in understanding how extreme weather, such as flooding, drought, and extreme heat and cold, were affecting local residents. They hope to use that information to develop tools, climate information and other resources to help communities better understand their local weather and improve extreme weather preparedness.
The events also featured breakout sessions where participants could share their perspectives and experiences on extreme weather. They discussed multiple aspects of weather and climate including impacts on the community, where they go to for weather information and what information they wish was more readily available. Many participants found the breakout sessions to be the most valuable component of the event, providing an opportunity to interact with others and hear diverse perspectives.
In addition to education and outreach, a goal of the roadshow for staff was to inform research efforts. Some research avenues identified include: understanding the conditions driving algal bloom formation in lakes; the extent to which warmer winters are contributing to increased pest and disease pressures; winter recreational impacts on the regional economy; long-term trends in frost depth to assess implications for drinking water, septic systems and agriculture; the impact of continued warming and shifting weather on culturally significant species like wild rice; and development of predictive tools to support Tribal resource management.