Promoting Open Data Science Practices with a Santa Barbara Climate

Cali and Ozair created an interactive Shiny for Python dashboard that helps users explore, compare, and understand climate projections for Santa Barbara County. It uses the LOCA2-Hybrid dataset- the most recent hybrid-statical downscaling product developed for California’s Fifth Climate Change Assessment. LOCA2 statistically downscales CMIP6 global climate model (GCM) outputs by calibrating them against regional observations, providing more accurate results at the local scale.

The dashboard transforms complex climate data into clear, interactive visuals tailored for scientists, students, community members, and decision-makers. It features location-specific climate visualizations, integrated spatial analysis tools, and is fully open-source, with all code available on GitHub to support transparency, reproducibility, and collaboration. The project promotes open data science by providing transparent, up-to-date climate information and supports public education on Santa Barabra’s future climate risks. Through the Santa Barbara Climate Dashboard, users can compare model outputs, examine how historical projections align with observed data, and create interactive maps that show projected changes across different regions and scenarios in the county.

Santa Barbara is experiencing rising temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns, but the variability and uncertainty of these changes are often misunderstood. This dashboard helps improve local understanding of climate impacts by simplifying access to model projections across multiple future emissions scenarios. By giving users the ability to visualize localized projections, it supports the community in assessing model uncertainties, evaluating how well projections align with historical observations, and gaining insight into the range of possible local future climate impacts. This empowers residents, educators, and policymakers to make informed decisions about adaptation and resilience.

Ozair and Cali’s Impact:

  • Processed 400+ files from historical observations and Cal-Adapt’s LOCA2 dataset to develop tools to analyze localized data across Santa Barbara County
  • Created built-in guides, glossaries, and explanations to enhance usability and support public understanding of local climate impacts
  • Built interactive maps visualizing temperature, precipitation, humidity and surface shortwave radiation with custom shapefile tools for targeted analysis
  • Implemented statistical tools to track climate trends and compare model projections against historical observations

Ozair Usmani

“This fellowship provided me with the best mentor and a great experience towards developing my understanding of climate model projections. I had the opportunity to learn about the various complexities of climate science, including how datasets are constructed for public download and how to extract data from those files. It also provided me with an opportunity to expand my network in research related to climate modeling. It furthered my interest in the field, making it my top priority as a future career!”

Ozair Usmani, Physics, '27

student headshot

“This fellowship provided the support needed to build an interactive climate dashboard for Santa Barbara County using data from Cal-Adapt. By promoting open data practices and accessible communication, the project helps build climate literacy and supports informed, community-driven action. We’re excited to continue expanding the reach of this tool and to foster greater transparency and collaboration in climate science.”

Cali Pfleger, PhD: Climate Modeling to Explore Hydroclimatic Variability