Geography and Climate
The High Plains are semi-arid, receiving between 10–20 inches (250–510 mm) of precipitation annually. Shortgrass prairie, prickly pear cacti and scrub vegetation cover the region, with occasional buttes or other rocky outcrops.
Due to low moisture and high elevation, the High Plains commonly experiences wide ranges and extremes in temperature. The temperature range from day to night commonly exceeds 10C/50F, and 24-hour temperature shifts of 20 to 25C (36 to 45F) are not unknown. The region is known for the steady, and sometimes intense, winds that prevail from the west. The winds add a considerable wind chill factor in the winter. The development of wind farms in the High Plains is one of the newest areas of economic development.
Read more about this topic: High Plains (United States)
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