The first 9 years of the "2000s" have delivered dry streams that had not been dry in 100 years and floods that set new record high crests. The average number of stormy days consistently climbed. Corn yields climbed and the annual deviation from the trend yield diminished, yet history says "this is the 3rd time yields have been consistent over a run of a decade or more." The climate has always changed and always will change. Historically, the roots of the National Weather Service began with the initial mission of "keeping a diary of the weather," and establishing "any material change in the climate ... and if so … its dependence upon cultivation of the soil, density of population, etc." With the original mission again at the forefront we find that 191 years of experience has not answered the questions in full, but has given a sense of the climate variability. Dealing with the risks imposed by long-term and decade scale variability has become increasingly important to producers and to consumers as well.