Warmer Northeast Sees Fewer Snow Days

Winter in the northeastern US is less white than it used be, with rising temperatures and less annual snowfall, the Boston Globe reports. From New Jersey to Maine, seasonal thermometers are climbing nearly 1 degree Fahrenheit per decade, say researchers, who analyzed 40 years of climate data. That means 14 fewer days with snow on the ground today than in 1968.

“People who have lived in the Northeast for 30 to 40 years have witnessed a distinct change in the character of their winter,” one scientist notes. As global warming continues, residents can expect the current “weather whipsaw” to continue: Yesterday was the warmest Dec. 10 ever logged in Maine, but forecasters warned winter will return soon. (More winter weather stories.)