Shrinking Cold Snaps

With the news of last year being the sixth hottest for the planet and fourth hottest for the U.S., heat has been getting a lot of attention recently. But in the midst of winter, many wonder how warming trends are affecting the cold. This week we look at the changing length of winter’s longest cold snaps locally from 1970 to 2021.

• From 1970 to 2021, 97% of the 244 stations analyzed have experienced shrinking winter cold snaps. 
• Cold snaps shrunk by 6 days on average across all 244 stations since 1970.
• Warmer winters in general and shorter cold spells in particular come with consequences that extend into the spring and summer.