2024 Winter Package

Climate Central's analysis of U.S. data from 1970 to 2024 shows that winter is the fastest-warming season for 74% of analyzed locations. Average winter temperatures rose by 4°F across 235 locations, with the highest warming seen in the Upper Midwest, Northeast, and Ohio Valley. The report notes a decrease in freezing nights and shorter cold streaks, alongside an increase in warmer-than-normal winter days. These trends impact western water supplies, residential energy use, the $27 billion fruit and nut industry, and the prevalence of disease-carrying pests.

• Between 1970 and 2024, average winter temperatures increased in 98% (235) of the 241 analyzed U.S. locations, with an average increase of 4°F. The most significant warming occurred in the Upper Midwest (5.5°F), Northeast (5°F), and Ohio Valley (4.6°F), with Burlington, Vt. recording the highest increase at 8.2°F.
• Winter is the fastest-warming season for 74% of 246 analyzed U.S. locations. There has been a marked increase in warmer-than-normal winter days in 96% (231) of 241 locations, with 87% of locations experiencing at least seven more such days than in 1970. Las Vegas and San Francisco saw the largest increases, with 31 and 29 more days respectively.
• Cold weather extremes are diminishing: the number of freezing nights dropped in 204 locations (averaging 13 fewer nights), and the longest cold streaks shortened in 98% (236) of 240 locations by an average of six days. Additionally, the coldest day of the year warmed by an average of 7°F across 242 locations.
• Winter warming has diverse socio-economic and environmental impacts, including reducing mountain snowpack for western water supplies, decreasing residential natural gas use, and disrupting the winter chill required for the $27 billion U.S. fruit and nut industry. It also extends growing seasons, increases allergy-inducing pollen, and may worsen health risks from disease-carrying pests like mosquitoes.

APA

Climate Central (2024). 2024 Winter Package. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/2024-winter-package

Chicago

Climate Central. 2024 Winter Package. 2024. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/2024-winter-package.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=2024 Winter Package |date=13 November 2024 |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/2024-winter-package |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentral20242024, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{2024 Winter Package}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2024}, month = nov, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/2024-winter-package}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }