Fastest-Warming Seasons

Analysis of 244 U.S. cities shows that winters are the fastest-warming season for most of the country, with average temperatures increasing by 3.9°F since 1970. This trend is characterized by fewer freezing nights, shorter cold streaks, and a significant increase in warmer-than-normal winter days, particularly in the Northeast and Upper Midwest. These changes threaten mountain snowpack, crop yields for the $27 billion fruit and nut industry, and the winter recreation economy, while potentially increasing pest-related health risks and allergy durations.

• Between 1970 and 2025, winter temperatures increased in 98% of the 244 analyzed U.S. cities, with an average warming of 3.9°F. The highest rates of warming occurred in the Upper Midwest (5.4°F), Alaska (4.8°F), the Northeast (4.8°F), and the Ohio Valley (4.4°F).
• The frequency of warmer-than-normal winter days has risen in 97% of the analyzed cities. Specifically, 88% of cities now experience at least seven more warmer-than-normal winter days than they did in the early 1970s, with the largest increases seen in the Northeast and Upper Midwest (averaging 16 more days).
• Extreme cold is diminishing across the U.S.: the coldest day of the year has warmed by an average of 7°F across 242 cities, the longest cold streaks have shortened by an average of six days across 240 cities, and 210 cities have seen an average of 15 fewer freezing nights since the early 1970s.
• Winter warming has significant socio-economic and environmental consequences, including reduced mountain snowpack for western U.S. water supplies, decreased winter chill for the $27 billion U.S. fruit and nut industry, and economic threats to the winter recreation industry. Additionally, warmer winters may increase pest-related health risks and extend allergy seasons.

APA

Scott, D., & Miller, A. (2025). Fastest-Warming Seasons. Climate Central. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/2025-winter-package

Chicago

Scott, Daniel, and Anna Miller. Fastest-Warming Seasons. Climate Central, 2025. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/2025-winter-package.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Scott |first1=Daniel |last2=Miller |first2=Anna |title=Fastest-Warming Seasons |publisher=Climate Central |date=12 November 2025 |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/2025-winter-package |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{scott2025fastestwarming, author = {Scott, Daniel and Miller, Anna}, title = {{Fastest-Warming Seasons}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2025}, month = nov, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/2025-winter-package}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }