I'm a little confused, because when the new USDA map came out my zone was changed from 4b to 5a, which I assumed was the result of taking climate change into account; but the article seems to be saying that the new map was minimizing the climate change effects. My personal thought had been it was an effort to get people to buy more plants or something... because zone 5 plants are very iffy where I am, unless planted in a micro climate such as near the house foundation.
