Story Spark: Winter Weather

The document outlines how warming winters in the US affect agriculture, health, and the economy, while offering reporting strategies and expert resources for journalists.

• Winters are warming faster than any other season in nearly 75% of the US, with some regions experiencing an 8-degree-Fahrenheit increase in average winter temperatures since 1970.
• Climate change is disrupting various US sectors, including a $12 billion winter sports industry, agriculture (such as fruit harvests and citrus growing), and public health through the increased presence of disease-carrying deer ticks in the Northeast.
• While overall snow amounts have decreased, some areas see more snowfall because warmer air holds more moisture. Additionally, wintertime tornadoes increased by 71% between 2001–2022 compared to the 1980–2000 period.
• Journalist Kelly House recommends three reporting strategies: acknowledging weather variability to build trust, focusing on common concerns like skiing or road safety, and connecting local events to the global climate crisis caused by fossil fuel consumption.

APA

House, K. (2024). Story Spark: Winter Weather. Covering Climate Now. https://coveringclimatenow.org/from-us-story/covering-winter-weather/

Chicago

House, Kelly. Story Spark: Winter Weather. Covering Climate Now, 2024. https://coveringclimatenow.org/from-us-story/covering-winter-weather/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=House |first1=Kelly |title=Story Spark: Winter Weather |publisher=Covering Climate Now |date=3 December 2024 |url=https://coveringclimatenow.org/from-us-story/covering-winter-weather/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{house2024story, author = {House, Kelly}, title = {{Story Spark: Winter Weather}}, institution = {Covering Climate Now}, year = {2024}, month = dec, url = {https://coveringclimatenow.org/from-us-story/covering-winter-weather/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }