A Warm Winter.

A Warm Winter

So far this winter, the weather across the Midwest has been remarkably mild. Temperatures have more closely resembled fall or early spring weather, and snowfall has been much lighter than average. The unseasonably warm weather can be attributed to a combination of atmospheric patterns, particularly La Niña, which has caused conditions to be excessively icy in Alaska but unusually warm in the lower 48 states.

La Niña is an atmospheric weather pattern that occurs when the sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean become cooler than normal, which affects weather patterns across the globe. La Niña conditions occur on average every three to five years and tend to last anywhere from nine months to a year, although they can last up to two years.

The combination of La Niña and other atmospheric conditions has added up to an unusually warm winter for the Midwest. The warmer temperatures and relatively minimal accumulation of snow and ice have had a number of effects on the region. Many areas have found an economic advantage to the mild winter. Little snow means less need for winter weather road maintenance. For example, according to a CBS news article, the Illinois Department of Transportation has spent only $5.4 million on salting and plowing this year, whereas by this point in the winter season for the past three years they had spent an average of $30.6 million. Less freezing and unfreezing of precipitation also means fewer potholes and less need for road repair.

Consumers have also found some advantages to the warmer winter. Most have been able to take advantage of lower utility bills because they have had less need to run heaters. Conversely, businesses that depend on winter weather have struggled some as consumers have found less need for their services. While consumers save money by not purchasing ice scrapers and snow shovels, hardware stores have noticed lower sales of these items than in years past. Those who make their living offering snow removal services have had to get by with less business than they had in previous years. Drugstore sales of cold remedies and flu shots have decreased across the country.

The unusually warm winter is not expected to have a large effect on wildlife. Some plants have flowered later than usual, but there is no effect anticipated on the spring display of flowers. Because there has been little snow to insulate the ground, frost may be able to reach a deeper penetration level than it normally does, which may destroy a few plants that would not normally succumb to winter weather.

Wildlife experts anticipate no effect on hibernation patterns. One creature whose winter habits may change due to the warmer weather, however, is the tick. Ticks are typically inactive during winter months, but they can become active again when temperatures rise above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The lack of snow could potentially result in larger than normal tick populations, which could have negative effects on other animals affected by them, such as deer.

It will certainly be interesting to see what this psring season brings...