Climate Change Cuts Weeks from Winter Across Northern Hemisphere

A new Climate Central analysis reveals significant losses in freezing days over the past decade, impacting ecosystems, industries, and cultural traditions.

The Northern Hemisphere has seen a substantial decline in freezing days, with some regions losing up to three weeks over the past decade due to human-caused climate change.
In Canada, cities like Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal have lost between 5 and 19 winter days annually, with milder areas seeing the greatest impacts.
The loss of freezing days is affecting winter recreation industries, such as skiing, with operators investing in costly snowmaking technologies to adapt to shorter seasons.
Warmer winters disrupt ecosystems by enabling pests to survive longer, threatening species reliant on snowpack, and extending allergy seasons due to prolonged plant growth.
The trend also poses risks to water supplies, as reduced snowpack diminishes spring runoff, which is crucial for drinking water and agriculture in many regions.