Global warming's effects in the Midwest

Farming: The growing season, already two weeks longer than in 1950, will continue to lengthen. But gains will be offset by smaller yields for some crops, including corn. Soybean yields will improve for a while, but gains will eventually be offset by heat stress. Wetter springs could delay planting.

When it rains, it pours: The Midwest generally has gotten wetter in the past century, mostly because of increasingly intense storms, and that's likely to continue in the next century. Weather patterns may become more erratic -- wet in some parts, dry in others. Snowfall may decline in much of the Midwest. More flooding is likely, which intensifies sewer overflows, soil erosion and water pollution from runoff.

Summer in the city: Heat and humidity will raise the misery index in cities, with one study predicting up to 2,217 additional heat-related deaths per year in Chicago toward the end of the 21st century. Higher temperatures should lengthen the pollen season and worsen the effects of degraded air quality.