Changing Climate a Factor in Oddball Winter Weather in Northern U.S., Says Report

Last week (28 January 2009), the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) released a report—Odd-ball Winter Weather: Global Warming’s Wake-Up Call for the Northern United States. According to the report, winters in the northern U.S. are becoming milder and shorter, even as they are punctuated by heavy snowstorms.

On average, Spring in the region arrives 10-14 days sooner than it did 20 years ago. “Since the 1970’s December - February temperature increases have ranged from 1 to 2 degrees Fahrenheit in the Pacific Northwest to about 4 degrees Fahrenheit in the Northeast to more than 6 degrees Fahrenheit in Alaska,” stated the report.

However, the report also states that, even with the milder winters “most snowbelt areas are still experiencing extremely heavy snowstorms. Some places are even expected to have more heavy snowfall events...” This is attributed to altered climate trends such as reduced Great Lakes ice cover—increasing lake-effect snowfalls—and the northward shift of storm tracks. As climate change alters long-term climatic trends, year-to-year variability in snowfall and temperatures will continue. “Scientists project that the next few decades will bring both more unusually warm winters and record-breaking snow storms,” states the report.

The NWF report describes some of the worrisome impacts of milder, northern winters:

Disease & pest spread: Extremely cold winter temperatures often inhibit the ability of pests and disease to spread beyond its natural limits. Without such cold, disease can flourish, such as the pine beetles in the Mountainous West, causing massive pine tree die-offs.
Crop & plant loss: Unusually warm weather can lead to premature crop planting and growth, as occurred in the Great Plains & Southeast in the March of 2007. However, when these conditions are interrupted by harsh winter weather, it can spell disaster as it did in April 2007, causing more than $2 billion in crop losses. On the other hand, some plants—walnuts, peaches, and cherries—flourish with cold exposure and cannot thrive without it.
Tourism impacts: In many northern regions of the country, winter recreation provides significant revenue. The $66 million ski industry, along with the millions of Americans who ski each year, will be impacted by rainier and shorter ski seasons. The ice fishing season will also decrease as ice thins and as freezes occur later.
Infrastructure risks: Government entities will have to plan for both wintertime flood management and roadway snow removal in response to erratic weather conditions.

With the report’s release, NWF held a phone conference highlighting first-hand experiences from people living in northern regions being impacted by milder winters. Brenda Archambo, third-generation ice angler from northern Michigan, gave her account of witnessing the ice fishing season decline and the impacts on local communities. In referring to the state’s dependence on revenue from winter sports and recreation, Archambo stated that, “Michigan’s economy will suffer another economic loss."

Jim Wentz from the League of Ohio Sportsmen made similar comments on the economic impacts surrounding Lake Erie with thinning ice and shorter winter seasons. He also worries about Ohio’s $15.1 billion forest industry. A changing climate will mean the loss of major hardwoods (maple, white oak, aspen, beech) in the state, hurting the forest industry, ecosystems, and value added to property while diminishing fall foliage.

NWF’s Melinda Koslow calls the impacts of a changing climate, “the loss of natural checks and balances.” As milder winters eliminate the population control of frost, economic resources and wildlife habitats will be impacted.

Learn more about climate impacts affecting your region of the U.S.

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