Fastest-Warming Seasons

Climate Central analyzed 245 U.S. locations and found that winter is the fastest-warming season for 76% of these sites, particularly in the Northeast, Southeast, and Ohio Valley. In the western U.S., fall and spring were the fastest-warming seasons for 31 locations, while some West and Northwest areas experienced the most rapid summer warming. These trends contribute to disrupted snowfall, earlier snowmelt, increased wildfire intensity, and longer pest and allergy seasons.

• Winter has been the fastest-warming season for 76% (185) of the 245 analyzed U.S. locations, with particular clustering in the Ohio Valley, Southeast, and Northeast regions.
• In the western U.S., 31 locations experienced the fastest warming during fall and spring, which increases risks of earlier snowmelt and extended allergy and pest seasons.
• Rapid summer warming in parts of the Northwest and West increases the frequency of extremely hot days, hazardous humid heat, and poor air quality due to pollutant buildup.
• Seasonal warming trends since 1970 impact critical resources and economies, including the reduction of snowfed water supplies for irrigation and hydropower, and threats to fruit crops requiring winter chill hours.

APA

Anderegg, W. (2025). Fastest-Warming Seasons. Climate Central. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/fastest-warming-seasons-2025

Chicago

Anderegg, William. Fastest-Warming Seasons. Climate Central, 2025. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/fastest-warming-seasons-2025.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Anderegg |first1=William |title=Fastest-Warming Seasons |publisher=Climate Central |date=22 January 2025 |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/fastest-warming-seasons-2025 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{anderegg2025fastestwarming, author = {Anderegg, William}, title = {{Fastest-Warming Seasons}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/fastest-warming-seasons-2025}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }