Quick Start Guide: Annual Differences Dashboard
How to Access the Dashboard
Navigate to Dashboards and select Annual Differences. The map will load, zoomed into a default grid cell, showing projected differences in selected climate variables relative to the 1980-2010 mean baseline.
1. Explore the Map
When the dashboard loads, the map shows projected differences for a selected climate variable, such as temperature or precipitation, compared to the 1980-2010 baseline. The map is color-coded based on the relative change (e.g., Δ °F or Δ mm), indicating whether the values are above or below the mean.
You can zoom or search for specific locations across the Western United States to explore projections for different regions.
2. Overview Section
The overview section automatically populates when the dashboard loads, displaying details about the current selections. This includes key timeframes such as historical, mid-century, and late-century, with data cards showing the relative changes compared to the 1980-2010 mean for the selected event and spatial unit.
The title card displays the name of the selected location, along with a summary sentence describing the current selections and scenarios.
3. Make Your Selections
In this section, you can customize the data displayed on the map and chart by selecting various options:
Climate Variables:
Choose from the following climate variables to explore relative changes based on the 1980-2010 mean baseline:
- Average Temperature: Relative change in the annual average temperature compared to the baseline.
- Maximum Temperature: Relative change in the annual average of daily maximum temperatures.
- Minimum Temperature: Relative change in the annual average of daily minimum temperatures.
- Precipitation: Relative change in the total annual precipitation.
Spatial Element:
You can aggregate data by various spatial units:
- County
- HUC4, HUC8, HUC10, or HUC12 (Hydrologic Unit Codes)
These options allow you to focus on different geographic scales, from large watersheds to smaller, more localized units.
GCMs (Global Climate Models):
The default ensemble averages all available climate models, but you can select individual models to include or exclude from the projections. This allows for a more tailored exploration of the data.
Any changes to these settings will automatically update the map and chart to reflect the new selections.
4. View the Chart
The chart visualizes how the selected climate variable changes over time relative to the 1980-2010 mean. This is displayed as a change (e.g., Δ °F or Δ mm), with a zero line included to help users quickly identify whether the values are above or below the baseline.
- Hover over the chart to see how projected changes for a particular year affect the map display.
- Switch between Metric and English units for easier interpretation.
- Adjust the y-axis to start at 0 or modify it for better visualization of relative changes.
- Export the chart as a PNG or download the underlying data for further analysis.
Ensemble data includes percentile ranges (25-75% in gray, 10-90% in lighter gray) to show where most values are expected to fall, giving you a clearer sense of uncertainty and spread in the projections.