Lost Winter Analysis

Climate change is significantly increasing the number of winter days with minimum temperatures above 0°C across the Northern Hemisphere. Analysis of the decade 2014-2023 shows that over one-third of analyzed countries and 44% of analyzed cities experienced at least one additional week of above-freezing days annually. Europe is the most affected region, with some countries like Lithuania and Latvia seeing over 20 additional above-freezing days per year. These shifts impact snowfall, the USD 12.5 billion winter sports industry, water supplies, and ecosystem health.

• Between 2014 and 2023, 44 out of 123 analyzed countries in the Northern Hemisphere experienced an average of at least seven additional winter days per year with minimum temperatures above 0°C due to human-caused warming.
• European countries experienced a higher average increase in above-freezing winter days than other regions, with Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania each seeing at least three additional weeks of such days annually.
• Approximately 44% of the 901 cities analyzed (393 cities) saw at least seven additional above-freezing winter days per year. Six cities experienced the most significant loss, with at least one month's worth of additional above-freezing days: Fuji (Japan), Khujand (Tajikistan), Turin and Verona (Italy), Bergen (Norway), and Riga (Latvia).
• In the United States, 28 states and 63% of the 62 analyzed cities experienced at least one additional week of lost winter days annually.
• The reduction in freezing temperatures negatively impacts the global winter sports industry, valued at approximately USD 12.5 billion in 2023. February temperatures in the 19 cities that hosted the Winter Olympics since 1950 have risen by an average of 2.7°C (4.8°F).
• Warming winters affect critical environmental and health factors, including a projected decrease in Northern Hemisphere snow cover of -8% per 1°C of global surface air warming, reduced mountain snowpack for water supplies, and increased risks from disease-carrying pests like ticks and mosquitoes.

APA

Young, M., DeFonza, R., Veitch, A., Dahl, K., & Martin, M. (2024). Lost Winter Analysis. Climate Central. https://assets.ctfassets.net/cxgxgstp8r5d/1DPWJzHf6bOX2ufv05mG9C/098b0bc99b074bada0c6474bc56eb60d/Climate_Central_Lost_Winter_Global_Report_December_2024.pdf

Chicago

Young, Michelle, Raina DeFonza, Abbie Veitch, Kristy Dahl, and Megan Martin. Lost Winter Analysis. Climate Central, 2024. https://assets.ctfassets.net/cxgxgstp8r5d/1DPWJzHf6bOX2ufv05mG9C/098b0bc99b074bada0c6474bc56eb60d/Climate_Central_Lost_Winter_Global_Report_December_2024.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Young |first1=Michelle |last2=DeFonza |first2=Raina |last3=Veitch |first3=Abbie |last4=Dahl |first4=Kristy |last5=Martin |first5=Megan |title=Lost Winter Analysis |publisher=Climate Central |date=December 2024 |url=https://assets.ctfassets.net/cxgxgstp8r5d/1DPWJzHf6bOX2ufv05mG9C/098b0bc99b074bada0c6474bc56eb60d/Climate_Central_Lost_Winter_Global_Report_December_2024.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{young2024lost, author = {Young, Michelle and DeFonza, Raina and Veitch, Abbie and Dahl, Kristy and Martin, Megan}, title = {{Lost Winter Analysis}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2024}, month = dec, url = {https://assets.ctfassets.net/cxgxgstp8r5d/1DPWJzHf6bOX2ufv05mG9C/098b0bc99b074bada0c6474bc56eb60d/Climate_Central_Lost_Winter_Global_Report_December_2024.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }