4 U.S. Regions Where Winters Are Getting Shorter the Fastest
In some parts of the U.S., being accustomed to a harsh winter is a part of life. But as the effects of climate change continue to shift the way we experience weather, some areas are settling into a new reality and changing their expectations.
Statistical evidence and historical data now point to an abbreviated cold season in certain places—including some that are anything but balmy at other times of the year. In a recent analysis, researchers found that 98 percent of 240 locations considered across the U.S. have seen their longest cold streaks shorten (which is defined as at least two consecutive days in December through February where average temperatures are below the winter averages recorded between 1991-2020) since 1970, according to Climate Central.
And in a separate study, it was found that 91 percent of 231 surveyed locations saw an average decrease of 15 nights per year where temperatures dropped below freezing since 1970.
While this shows there has been a change nationwide, some areas are seeing conditions change even more rapidly. Here are the U.S. regions where winters are getting shorter the fastest, according to data.
RELATED: 3 Regions Where Winter Will Arrive Earlier Than Usual This Year.
1. The Great Lakes & Midwest
The winters that tend to hit the northern central states have become the stuff of legend, with some frigid conditions kicking off well before autumn has finished. But lately, researchers have noticed a troubling trend in seasonal change.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Great Lakes region is already showing signs of a rapidly shortening winter. In a study published last January, scientists used data from buoys across Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, and Lake Superior to record both air temperatures and subsurface water temperatures. Results showed that winter conditions decreased by an average of about 14 days since 1995, accompanied by a visible reduction in ice cover on the freshwater bodies in recent years.
The researchers warned that these changes could have effects on local ecosystems, especially in and around the water. However, it could also impact weather regionally, as heavier lake effect snow is generated when colder air moves over an unfrozen lake surface, per NOAA.
2. Mountain West
The states surrounding the Rockies can typically see winters start well ahead of some other areas, especially at higher elevations. But that snowy season seems to be on the downswing, according to recent data.
In a December 2024 study published by Climate Central, researchers analyzed temperature data from 2014 to 2023 and identified any changes. They found that the average number of below-freezing days had dropped in every state in the region, with Idaho and Colorado each losing 4 days, Montana dropping 3, and Wyoming losing two.
While the higher altitudes in the states typically keep them cooler, they’re not at all immune to the changes. “ It’s not like places like Wyoming aren’t warming as well,” Kristina Dahl, the vice president of science at Climate Central, told Wyoming Public Radio. “It’s just that they’re still below that threshold.”
RELATED: 4 Regions That Will Be Unusually Windy This November and December.
3. The Southwest (and parts of the South)
The area just below the Mountain West region also saw significant changes according to the same Climate Central study. Results showed that Arizona lost a shocking 11 days over the course of the decade. It was followed by New Mexico with nine fewer sub-32-degree days, Nevada with eight fewer, and Utah with six fewer.
The region also saw the most drastic drops when it came to a reduction in freezing nights. Reno, Nevada, saw the most staggering drop with 89 fewer nights below 32 degrees Fahrenheit since the 1970s. Meanwhile, Albuquerque, New Mexico, saw 44 fewer freezing nights, while El Paso, Texas, recorded a drop of 41 overall.
4. The Northeast
Even though the picturesque winter landscapes of Upstate New York and northern New England are synonymous with the region, a new reality appears to be settling in. In a study published in the Ecological Society of America journal Ecological Applications in July 2019, researchers from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) analyzed climate data from the previous century from weather stations across the Northern Forests.
The team found that there was a drop in both frost days (which are when temperatures quickly dip below freezing) and ice days (when temperatures stay below freezing) over the period. It also noted that winter conditions appeared to be starting later and ending earlier in the region.
“Winter conditions are changing more rapidly than any other season, and it could have serious implications,” Alexandra Contosta, research assistant professor at UNH’s Earth Systems Research Center and one of the study’s authors, said in a press release. “Whether precipitation falls as snow or rain makes a big difference, whether you’re talking about a forest stream, a snowshoe hare, or even a skier.”