Lost Winter: Above-freezing days added by climate change

Climate change is increasing the number of winter days with minimum temperatures above freezing across the Northern Hemisphere, leading to a reduction in snow cover and freshwater supplies. In the contiguous U.S., annual snowfall has decreased at 64% of 2,041 stations since 1970, and snow-derived freshwater in the western U.S. has fallen by 15-30% since 1955, with a further 25% decline projected by 2050.

• Human-caused warming has led to a significant increase in 'lost winter days'—days with minimum temperatures above freezing—across the Northern Hemisphere, contributing to the shrinkage of ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice, permafrost, and snow cover.
• In the contiguous United States, snowfall is decreasing as a warming atmosphere holds approximately 4% more moisture per 1°F of warming, causing more precipitation to fall as rain. Since 1970, annual snowfall has decreased at 64% of 2,041 stations, and over 80% of 170 weather stations report less snow than in the late 1940s.
• Snow-derived freshwater in the western U.S. decreased by 15-30% between 1955 and the present, and is projected to decline by an additional 25% by 2050. Globally, Northern Hemisphere snow cover is estimated to decrease at a rate of -8% per 1.8°F (1°C) of global surface air warming.

APA

Climate Central (n.d.). Lost Winter: Above-freezing days added by climate change. https://www.climatecentral.org/toolkit-snow-and-ice

Chicago

Climate Central. Lost Winter: Above-freezing days added by climate change. n.d. https://www.climatecentral.org/toolkit-snow-and-ice.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=Lost Winter: Above-freezing days added by climate change |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/toolkit-snow-and-ice |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentralndlost, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{Lost Winter: Above-freezing days added by climate change}}, institution = {Climate Central}, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/toolkit-snow-and-ice}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }