Winters aren’t what they used to be

Those of us who grew up in the 1950’s and 60’s are well aware of how cold the winters were and how much snow and ice there was, compared to today. Okay there wasn’t much central heating then, but we do remember snow being piled high for days on end. These impressions and anecdotes are now being substantiated by scientific studies that show the average UK winter has become around 1C warmer and 15% wetter over the past century.

The Carbon Brief analysis covers more than 100 years of data on temperature, rainfall, wind speed and snow, to assess how UK winters have changed. The data show that extremely warm and wet winters are becoming more common. Six of the 10 warmest winters on record were in the 21st century, and four of these also rank in the top 10 wettest years on record. Extreme cold periods are also becoming less common. On average, the UK saw more than 12 snow days each winter in 1971-2000. This dropped to 9.5 snow days each winter by 1991-2020. There is a similar trend in the number of frost days. As the climate continues to warm, the UK can expect winters to continue getting warmer and wetter. Met Office projections suggest that, under an emissions pathway in line with current global policies, the average UK winter by 2080-99 will be 2C warmer and 11% wetter than they were in 1981-2000.

We think of cold and the scaricity of food as the most serious challenge for wildlife in winter, but wet weather brings more chances of flooding and the increasing number of warmer days in winter upsets the hibernation patterns of wildlife. The problem for wildlife is the speed with which these changes are happening leaves little time for adaptation and consequently humans will need to do more to assist wildlife as it struggles to cope with the changes we have caused .Furethermore, warmer winters have “particularly devastating impacts for trees”, as cold snaps are often not long enough to kill off harmful diseases and pests.
 
Source
Carbon Brief Analysis: How UK winters are getting warmer and wetter 16 Febrouary 2024, https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-how-uk-winters-are-getting-warmer-and-wetter/