Snips From Regional Survey Of Climate Outcomes In US - Changes To Date, Future Shifts

[hatrack]

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SOUTHEAST:

Already: Spring rainfall is down nearly 30 percent since 1970.

Future: Hotter summer days, polluted air, increased drought, slightly stronger hurricanes.

MIDWEST:

Already: Ice cover on Great Lakes has plummeted. In some areas winter temperatures have increased by 7 degrees since 1970.

Future: Great Lakes water levels can fall by as much as two feet. Agriculture could be pounded by floods, droughts, more insects and weeds.

GREAT PLAINS

Already: Water levels have dropped by more than 150 feet in some places.

Future: Northern parts of the Great Plains, such as North Dakota, may increase spring rain by up to 40 percent, but southern areas around Texas and Oklahoma can see spring rainfall drop by 40 percent.

SOUTHWEST

Already: Droughts, wildfires and die-offs of some woodlands has increased dramatically.

Future: Spring rainfall in much of the Southwest could drop by 40 percent or more. Water supplies are projected to be increasingly scarce.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090616/ap_on_sc/us_sci_climate_report_regions