A new assessment of the impacts of climate change in Illinois shows an ongoing trend of warmer and wetter conditions in the state which pose challenges to agriculture.
Co-author and former Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel tells Brownfield temperatures are increasing which is especially evident with the recent mild winters, and heavy rain events are becoming more common.
“In fact, our precipitation has increased about 10-15% in the last century, so the real problem is these heavy rain events cause flooding, soil erosion and a whole host of water quality issues.”
With these trends expected to continue, Angel predicts more weather-related challenges for farmers.
