When you hear about climate change, you may think of sweltering summers but winter temperatures are also on the rise.

Even with extreme cold events like the ice storm of February 2021, winters have, on average, been getting warmer since the 1970s. One example is the overall drop in the number of nights below freezing in most cities.

From 1970 to 2021, 97% of the 244 stations analyzed across the United States have experienced shrinking winter cold snaps. The winter cold snaps shrunk by 6 days on average.

According to climate models, by 2100, Baton Rouge would only average 2 night below freezing compared to the 14 we usually see every winter.

Warmer winters can have negative impacts, especially on the ski resorts who need freezing temperatures for snowfall. Pests can even flourish year round if temperatures are not cold enough to cause them to die off.