The USDA is updating an important map for gardeners and growers picking plants and flowers. The new map shows the contiguous U.S. is about 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the last map 11 years ago.

Attendees were encouraged to examine the map of America, identifying red, yellow, and green zones. These zones likely represented areas of varying vulnerability to climate-related disasters.

On the 2012 map, most of Long Island was in zone 7a, with winter lows of 0 to 5 degrees.. On the updated map, the region is nearly all zone 7b, with winter lows of 5 to 10 degrees.