Shorter Cold Streaks

Climate Central analysis shows that winter's longest cold streaks have shrunk by an average of six days across 240 U.S. locations between 1970 and 2023, affecting 98% of the sites studied. These shorter cold periods threaten high-value fruit and nut crop production, snowpack-fed water supplies, Great Lakes ice cover, and the control of disease-carrying pests. While most locations saw decreases—with Las Vegas, Nevada experiencing a 21-day reduction—a few sites, including Los Angeles, California, saw streaks lengthen by two to five days.

• Between 1970 and 2023, 98% (236) of the 240 analyzed U.S. locations experienced a decrease in the length of their longest winter cold streaks, with an average reduction of six days across all 240 locations.
• Nearly half of the analyzed locations (45%, or 107) saw their longest winter cold streaks shrink by at least one week since 1970.
• The most significant average decrease in the longest winter cold streaks occurred in Las Vegas, Nevada, where streaks shrunk by 21 days.
• A small number of locations deviated from the general trend: one location showed no trend, and three locations—Los Angeles, California; Eureka, California; and Idaho Falls, Idaho—saw cold streaks lengthen by two to five days since 1970.
• Shorter winter cold streaks have five primary negative consequences: they hinder the growth of high-value fruit and nut crops (such as grapes and almonds in Fresno, California), reduce winter ice cover on the Great Lakes, diminish snowpack for water supplies (especially in the western U.S.), threaten winter recreation economies, and reduce the control of pests like ticks and mosquitoes.

APA

Climate Central (2024). Shorter Cold Streaks. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/shorter-cold-streaks-2024

Chicago

Climate Central. Shorter Cold Streaks. 2024. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/shorter-cold-streaks-2024.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=Shorter Cold Streaks |date=14 February 2024 |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/shorter-cold-streaks-2024 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentral2024shorter, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{Shorter Cold Streaks}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2024}, month = feb, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/shorter-cold-streaks-2024}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }