Image of native prairie strips into row cropping system. Source: https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/chapter/21/
Do you think you have personally felt the impact of climate change?
Historical Climate Trends of the Plains and Midwest
There are reliable and systematic climate observations that date back to before the turn of the last century. Analyses of these data indicate that the Plains and Midwest have warmed on an annual average basis by about 1°F to 1.5°F since 1900. The trend is strongest during the winter and at night. Summer temperature trends show that southern portions of the region are cooling slightly whereas northern and western portions are warming. Temperature extremes have shifted such that the cold events are becoming less cold, by several degrees, as well as less frequent while the long-term change in warm temperature extremes show an overall cooling. The warmth of the 1930s partly attributes to this seemingly reduction in extreme warm days. In addition, studies also point to the increase in agricultural intensity altering atmospheric water vapor content through increased evapotranspiration is attributing to this trend. Precipitation in the area has seen a general increase in the annual averages by about 10-15% over the past century. The trends are strongest and most pronounced during spring and fall with an increase of 15% for much of the region. Winter and summer trends are more variable in the Plains and Midwest with some portions getting wetter, some getting drier. Heavy precipitation events are generally on the rise across the region.
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