Shrinking Cold Snaps

Between 1970 and 2021, 97% of 244 analyzed U.S. stations experienced shrinking winter cold snaps, with an average reduction of six days. The most significant decrease occurred in Las Vegas, Nevada, where cold snaps shortened by three weeks. These trends contribute to broader ecological and economic risks, including increased pest populations, reduced snowpack for water supplies, and threats to winter recreation and crop growth requiring winter chill.

• From 1970 to 2021, 97% of the 244 analyzed stations in the U.S. saw a decrease in the length of winter cold snaps, while 98% of locations experienced an increase in annual average temperatures.
• On average, the longest cold snaps across all stations decreased by six days since 1970, with one-third of stations experiencing a reduction of at least one week.
• A small number of stations deviated from the general trend: six showed no trend, and three stations—Marquette, Michigan; Eureka, California; and Idaho Falls, Idaho—saw their longest cold snaps increase by 2-3 days.
• Shorter cold snaps have several negative consequences: they allow disease-carrying pests like ticks and mosquitoes to persist, reduce the snowpack essential for drinking and industrial water supplies, hinder the growth of crops needing winter chill, and threaten regional winter recreation economies.

APA

Climate Central (2022). Shrinking Cold Snaps. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/shrinking-cold-snaps

Chicago

Climate Central. Shrinking Cold Snaps. 2022. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/shrinking-cold-snaps.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=Shrinking Cold Snaps |date=26 January 2022 |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/shrinking-cold-snaps |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentral2022shrinking, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{Shrinking Cold Snaps}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2022}, month = jan, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/shrinking-cold-snaps}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }