Animated Map for Gardeners Shows Progress of Global Warming

image source: The Arbor Day Foundation

Hardiness zones are a geographical tool developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assist farmers and gardners to choose plants to cultivate that will thrive in their local climate, based upon average annual low temperature. The USDA most recently published its hardiness zone data based on climate data from 1990. The Arbor Day Foundation produced its own hardiness zone data for 2006, based on climate data from the preceding 15 years provided by the NOAA National Climatic Data Center.

The animated map plainly shows the northward movement of warmer temperatures beween 1990 and 2006.

(via Pat Kight)

Tags: arbor day foundation map animation flash hardiness zone climate change environment global warming climate weather gardening agriculture