Fewer Freezing Nights

Analysis of 232 U.S. cities shows that 91% have experienced a long-term decrease in freezing nights since 1970, with an average reduction of 15 nights. This trend is most pronounced in the West, Northeast, and Southwest, and is attributed to climate change driven by the burning of fossil fuels. While fewer freezing nights may reduce acute cold-exposure risks and home heating costs, the trend threatens snow-fed water supplies, winter recreation economies, and fruit crop yields that require winter chill, while potentially expanding the range of disease-carrying pests.

• Between 1970 and 2024, 210 out of 232 analyzed U.S. cities (91%) saw a decrease in the annual number of freezing nights, averaging 15 fewer nights than in the early 1970s.
• The most significant reductions in freezing nights occurred in Reno, Nevada (89 fewer nights), Albuquerque, New Mexico (44), El Paso, Texas (41), and Las Cruces, New Mexico (40). Regionally, the West saw the largest average drop (17 nights), followed by the Northeast and Southwest (both 16 nights).
• Climate change, primarily caused by burning coal, oil, and methane gas, has driven the increase in winter nights above freezing. In the U.S., 28 states experienced at least one additional week of winter days above freezing annually from 2015 to 2024 due to climate change.
• Projections from the Climate Impact Lab indicate that by 2040, every U.S. state except Hawaii is expected to see a decrease in days with below-freezing temperatures, even under moderate emission levels.
• The reduction in freezing nights has mixed consequences: it may lower home heating costs and reduce acute cold-exposure risks for vulnerable populations, but it disrupts snow-fed water supplies, winter recreation, and the yields of fruit crops requiring winter chill, while potentially extending the active season for pests like mosquitoes and ticks.

APA

Climate Central (2025). Fewer Freezing Nights. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/fewer-freezing-nights-2025

Chicago

Climate Central. Fewer Freezing Nights. 2025. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/fewer-freezing-nights-2025.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=Fewer Freezing Nights |date=19 February 2025 |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/fewer-freezing-nights-2025 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentral2025fewer, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{Fewer Freezing Nights}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2025}, month = feb, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/fewer-freezing-nights-2025}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }