Climate Change Resources for the High Plains Region


Climate Change Literature

High Plains Regional Climate Center

Developed by the High Plains Regional Climate Center, this guide provides basic information about historic climate change and possible impacts in the United States and in the High Plains Region (Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming). Sections include:

    Global Climate Change
    Climate Change in the United States
    Historical Climate Trends in the High Plains Region
    Climate Change Projections and Possible Impacts

Click here to see a map of the stations used in this study.

United States Global Change Research Program

The following reports were developed by the United States Global Change Research Program, of which thirteen departments and agencies are part of. Their mission is to build a knowledge base that informs human responses to climate and global change through coordinated and integrated federal programs of research, education, communication, and decision support.

At this site, you can learn more about past, present, and future climate change in the Great Plains. In addition, key climate change impacts are discussed including water resources, ecosystems, extreme events, and population shifts.

At this site you can learn more about past, present, and future climate change in the Southwest. Key climate change impacts are also discussed including water resources, biological diversity, flooding, and recreation and tourism.


NOAA, US Climate Change Science Program, North Central Bioeconomy Consortium, and Iowa State University Climate Science Initiative

The Corn and Climate Report focuses on climate and climate change in the Midwest. It offers ideas on climate change mitigation and adaptation for Midwestern producers and also highlights climate services.

Sections of the report include:

    Climate science shows that human activity is causing global warming
    Global warming's effects on Midwestern agricultural communities
    NOAA's responses to a changing climate
    The National Climate Service
    Climate change mitigation and adaptation

Colorado Foundation for Water Education

The Colorado Foundation for Water Education has the mission to promote better understanding of Colorado's water resources and issues by providing balanced and accurate information and education. This guide, with a focus on climate change in Colorado, looks at a broad spectrum of viewpoints on the following topics:

    Climate and Global Climate Models
    Water Supply
    Agriculture
    Forestry, Ecosystems and Wildlife
    Air and Health
    Energy
    Recreation


Climate Information

United States Climate Change Science Program

This guide is a good starting point for those wanting to learn or teach the basics of climate science and the impacts of climate change.

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Learn about the earth's climate with this online tutorial. Topics covered include an introduction to the atmosphere, and introduction to climate, the greenhouse effect, and climate change (past, present, and future).

Climate Data

National Climatic Data Center

The U.S. Statewide Analysis provides a graphical display of monthly, seasonal, and annual temperature and precipitation data for each state.

High Plains Regional Climate Center

The CLimate Information for Management and Operational Decisions (CLIMOD) system provides clients with web access to a vast amount of data and information in the ACIS database.

Some examples of products available through the CLIMOD system include: daily temperature and precipitation observations, normals and records for several thousand sites around the country and monthly data summaries. Additional derived products, such as growing, heating and cooling degree day accumulations, that are useful for planning and managing climate-sensitive operations, are also available through the CLIMOD system.

The Historical Climate Data Summaries offer historical climate data, normals, and extremes for Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.