Our winters will soon be shorter, warmer, and less snowy. And that’s scary, scientists say
Post date: Sep 16, 2016 8:25:11 PM
By Matt Rocheleau GLOBE STAFF SEPTEMBER 16, 2016
In the coming years, New Englanders can expect warmer and shorter winters, with fewer days below freezing and less snow.
For winter-weary residents, that may sound fantastic. But scientists say the impending changes — a result of human-caused global warming — are deeply troubling.
“While there will be some benefits from climate change, warming, which reduces or eliminates the amount of time any given place experiences freezing weather, will undoubtedly be detrimental,” said University of Massachusetts Amherst professor Michael Rawlins.
Rawlins, fellow UMass climate scientist Raymond Bradley, and other researchers have issued a study, published online this week and appearing in the October issue of the Journal of Climate, that details how New England winters will warm over the next few decades.
Less snowfall would exacerbate warming, researchers found. Snowcover helps reflect energy from the sun during winter, keeping temperatures down. Without snowcover, more sunlight is absorbed by darker surfaces, which can have a warming effect, Rawlins said.
While the overall pattern will be warmer winters, there will likely be fluctuations, with some cooler winters mixed in along the way.
The study projected temperatures from about 2040 until 2070. But Rawlins said specialists expect warmer temperatures to persist beyond that time frame. “Given current rates of greenhouse gas emissions, it is very likely that warming will continue past mid-century unless aggressive actions are taken, and soon, to curb these emissions,” he said.
JOURNAL OF CLIMATE / “FUTURE DECREASES IN FREEZING DAYS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA” STUDY
The above map shows the expected change in the frequency of freezing days across North America. Darker areas are projected to experience the greatest declines in freezing day frequency.
Matt Rocheleau can be reached at matthew.rocheleau@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @mrochele