Which physical factors influence the environment of the Great Plains?

Question

Which physical factors influence the environment of the Great Plains?

Answer 1

An important player is the mountains to the west.  The plains are immediately downwind the mountains and we get left with dry descending air that makes our climates nearly arid.

See...

http://www.stuffintheair.com/aridity-ind...

...for more about this.

Answer 2

The location of the Gulf of Mexico and Canada influence the weather pattens of the Great Plains.  In the Spring, cold outbreaks of air from Canada clash with moisture and warm air flowing up from the Gulf and lead to violent weather and "tornado alley".  The further north you go, the colder the weather is.  Eastern North Dakota statistically has the coldest weather in the lower 48 states.   The distance west of the Gulf influences the rainfall totals for Great Plains States.   For instance, East Kansas has enough rain to allow corn growth, while further westward, the only corn that could grow is by irrigation.  You should take a plane and see all the crop circles in Western Kansas.