A new report from the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts says Wisconsin will continue to experience more weather and temperature extremes due to climate change, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. Following a year of record flooding and continued winter weather variability, insights on the impacts of climate change on Wisconsin communities are crucial for understanding how to address climate change through equitable adaptations.
Average temperatures in Wisconsin rose about three degrees Fahrenheit since the 1950s and annual precipitation increased by 17%. The last two decades have been the warmest on record with 2024 being the warmest year for Wisconsin and the world, according to WPR.
Rising temperatures do not just signal warmer weather year round, but they also cause an increase in weather extremes in all seasons. Shifts in extremes include more rapid transitions between very wet and very dry days, referred to as “precipitation ping pong,” which can create damage. Between 1980 and 2024, Wisconsin saw 63 climate or weather disasters and these disasters caused over $1 billion in losses, according to WPR.
The flooding event that took place in Milwaukee following a new 24 hour rainfall record of over 14 inches of rain in the summer of 2025 illustrates shortcomings in addressing climate related disasters in a timely and complete manner. The extreme weather event required $207 million in federal aid. When the Trump administration blocked additional assistance after the flooding, city and state officials explained that not only did the decision slow recovery, but it sent a message that the community was not supported, according to the Wisconsin Examiner.
Rebuilding homes and businesses and preparing infrastructure for future climate disasters was essential, but by treating it as optional, the federal government continued to ignore the realities of climate change in Wisconsin. Denial about the impacts of climate change will only further harm all Wisconsin residents if communities cannot establish preparations.
Climate change can often feel complex when discussed in the abstract, but the increase in climate disasters and the impact of climate change on our most profitable industries is tangible in Wisconsin.
Increased temperatures make winters unreliable, harming the tourism industry that thrives off of winter sports including snowmobiling and skiing. Activities such as visiting Lake Superior’s ice caves are also quickly disappearing due to warmer winters, according to WPR.
Winter activities are a draw to Northern Wisconsin during the many months long off season in a region built around lakes and prosperous summer tourism. Communities cannot survive without winter tourism. Between higher temperatures and below average snowfall, some businesses have been pushed into bankruptcy or ongoing financial uncertainty, according to WPR.
Direct profit from winter activities is important, but the lack of snow and proper temperature has a trickle down effect on every industry. Small businesses and local restaurants feel the impact of fewer tourists. Unreliable winter conditions made some small businesses eligible for disaster relief coverage through the US Small Business Administration, according to the Sierra Club.
Attention to the impact of warmer winters has increased, but ongoing fluctuations can distract from the need to prepare. While some argue the winter of 2025 was a return to “normal,” it was in reality an exception, according to WPR.
Clear climate impacts and the rise in short term aid necessitates tangible long term solutions and preparations.
Experts from the WICCI recommend communities build climate resilience. This involves building nature based solutions including creating a living shoreline on Lake Superior to weaken waves and preserve the shoreline and planting native grasses to prevent erosion. Working with Wisconsin’s native ecosystem to maintain healthy and diverse habitats prepares the land to better handle climate impacts, according to Wisconsin Conservation.
The WICCI and Wisconsin Conservation created resources to prepare communities for these adaptations. This includes establishing a Wisconsin climate response fund and providing demonstrations of building climate resiliency with the hope that leaders will implement what they learned in their own communities, according to Wisconsin Conservation.
These efforts are crucial and must continue. However, recent neglect of Wisconsin communities’ needs by the federal government does not signal an easy course to influencing national leaders to fund preventative measures.
Local communities should continue to pressure state and federal leaders to focus on preventative measures while they are still available. Climate change impacts the most vulnerable populations first, including seasonal workers and rural communities. Those whose livelihoods depend on the tourism industry and related small businesses may not be visible to leaders in the state capitol or in Washington.
While businesses continue to adapt through expanding summer and fall activities, this cannot replace winter tourism and should not be used as a rebuttal to the worrisome decline of winter weather. State leaders should prioritize preventative measures to build climate resilience because winter tourism is central to Wisconsin’s identity and those who make the industry prosperous deserve to be fought for.
