The large, warm pool of ocean water in the Indian and west Pacific Oceans has been growing warmer and expanding in size since 1900, impacting the Madden Julian Oscillation and regional rainfall.
The taiga is becoming more flammable, increasing the risk for intense wildfires—some so intense they overwinter in deep ash pits and re-emerge the following spring.
Warmer conditions will pose new challenges for producers of Americans’ favorite side dish but advance knowledge and innovation will help potato growers prepare.
Unseasonable cold in the Rockies, Northern Plains, and Great Lakes were balanced by much warmer than average conditions in the Southwest and Southeast coastal states.