The USDA Southern Plains Climate Hub: Regional Agricultural Management in the Context of Weather and Climate Variability and Change.

In the Southern Great Plains of the United States, extremes of weather and climate are the norm. Farmers, ranchers, and foresters rely upon timely and authoritative data and information when making management decisions that are weather- and climate-dependent. In response to the needs of these agricultural stakeholders, USDA established the Southern Plains Climate Hub, part of a national network of ten Hubs and sub-Hubs whose mission is to synthesize and translate weather and climate science into regionally usable tools and information. The Southern Plains Climate Hub works across Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas to facilitate critical research, conduct user needs and vulnerability assessments, communicate weather and climate information to stakeholders, promote educational opportunities, and build regional partnerships within and beyond USDA. In this presentation, specific examples of the Southern Plains Climate Hub’s successes since its 2014 formation are highlighted, along with its short- and long-term strategic goals and upcoming initiatives within and beyond the Hub network to broadly connect weather and climate information to regional agricultural management.