Climate changes suggested by some global climate models (GCM) may impact the economic viability oflivestock production systems in the Great Plains region of the United States. Increased ambienttemperatures lead to depressed voluntary feed intake, reduced weight gains, and lower milk production.Animals are somewhat able to adapt to higher temperatures with prolonged exposure but productionlosses will occur in response to higher temperature events. This report presents current knowledgeabout the impacts of climate on the feed intake and milk production in dairy cattle, with potentialimpacts of climatic change on performance addressed using algorithms from research results combinedwith climatological data and GCM output. Algorithms used are based on the most recent NationalResearch Council publications on the Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle (NRC, 1989) and relatedpublications. Geographic variations in the relative change in temperature and other climate variablesassociated with GCM scenarios are identified for the central Great Plains region and linked to potentialimpacts on milk production. Exploration of the effects of climate changes on livestock allows producersto adjust management strategies to reduce the potential economic losses due to environmental changes.