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7. Climate Adaption and Resilience <br />a. Describe the climate trends in the general location of the project (see guidance: <br />Climate Adaptation and Resilience) and how climate change is anticipated to affect <br />that location during the life of the project. <br />Trends in temperature, precipitation, flood risk, and cooling degree days are described below <br />for the general project location. Some of the climate projections summarized below use <br />Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), which are greenhouse gas concentration <br />scenarios used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. RCP 4.5 is an <br />intermediate scenario in which emissions decline after peaking around 2040, and RCP 8.5 is a <br />worst -case scenario in which emissions continue to rise through the 215t century.' <br />Temperature <br />According to the Minnesota Climate Explorer,2 the historical average temperature in Anoka <br />County between 2002-2022 was approximately 44.95 °F, with the lowest average in 2014 <br />(41.5°F) and the highest average in 2012 (47.89°F). The average annual temperature in Anoka <br />County is projected to be 48.42°F from 2040-2059 under RCP 4.5. In 2080-2099, the average <br />annual temperature is projected to be 50.84°F and 54.58 °F under RCP 4.5 and 8.5, <br />respectively. <br />Urban Heat Island <br />Surfaces and structures such as roads, parking lots, and buildings absorb and re -emit more <br />heat from the sun than natural landscapes. This can significantly raise air temperature and <br />overall extreme heat vulnerability in urban areas where there are dense concentrations of <br />these surfaces. This is referred to as urban heat island effect. According to the Metropolitan <br />Council's Extreme Heat Map Tool, based on the land surface temperate at the project site <br />during a heatwave in 2016, the site is susceptible to extreme heat.3 <br />Precipitation <br />According to the Minnesota Climate Explorer, historic average precipitation in Anoka County <br />between 2002-2022 was approximately 31.63 inches, with the lowest average in 2008 (25.67 <br />inches) and the highest average in 2002 (41.01 inches). Average annual precipitation in <br />Anoka County from 2040-2059 is projected to be 32.79 inches under RCP 4.5. From 2080- <br />2099, average annual precipitation is projected to be 33.62 inches under RCP 4.5 and 35.87 <br />inches under RCP 8.5. <br />Localized Flood Risk <br />The Metropolitan Council's Localized Flood Map Screening Tool4 identifies localized flood <br />hazards, referred to as Bluespots, which are broken into categories based on potential flood <br />1 Climate Explorer Metadata. Available at httos://www.dnr.state.mn.us/climate/climate-explorer-metadata.html. <br />2 Minnesota Climate Explorer. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Available at <br />https://arcais.dn r.state.mn.us/ewr/climateexplorer/main/historical. <br />3 Extreme Heat Map Tool. Metropolitan Council. Available at httos://metrocouncil.ora/Communities/Plannina/Local- <br />Pla n n ina-Assistance/CVA/Tools-Resou rces.aspx <br />4 Localized Flood Map Screening Tool. Metropolitan Council. Available at <br />https://metrocouncil.ora/Communities/Plannina/Local-Plannina-Assistance/CVA/Tools-Resou rces.aspx. <br />Haviland Fields EAW 4 July 2023 <br />