When you work on issues surrounding climate change, you have a tendency to start looking around for any information you can find to see if the dry weather we’re experiencing in the Southern Plains is driven by climate change or if it's to be expected.

If you keep up with the weather news, you know by now that the folks with the meteorological crystal ball have been saying since mid-summer that we were in for a La Nina pattern this winter. This typically leads to higher-than-normal temperatures and lower-than-normal rates of precipitation on the Southern Plains of the U.S.

Fires can happen almost any time on the Southern Plains. Dry conditions and high winds always help spur the risk of out-of-control blazes, but from November to March when plants are largely dormant, we face especially high wildfire danger.

This week, I'm focusing on another area of USDA activity — rural development. I recently came across an interesting article that discussed the concept of “managed retreat” from climate change and what it could mean for rural communities throughout the country.

A map created in 2020 by ProPublica offers some food for thought, as it shows projected yield changes in the U.S. for the years 2040-2060 due to increased heat and drought. Spoiler Alert: The southern states, including large parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and even Missouri, could be facing massive yield drops.