Is New England Heating Up Faster than Other Regions, or Is It Just a Hot Year?

According to The Climate System Research Center at UMass Amherst, the 2022-2023 Massachusetts winter average temperature tied 2015-2016 as the warmest winter season ever recorded, averaging temperatures around 33.7 degrees Fahrenheit.¹ Since the late 1800s, Massachusetts winter temperatures have almost always averaged below freezing – many years far below 30 degrees. However, the rise in average temperature isn’t just a stand-out occurrence. The overall temperature trend since 1895 has been a clear rising slope.² Between 1990 and 2020, while the broader Earth warmed two degrees Fahrenheit, the Northeast warmed around 3.29 degrees.³ Experts attribute these trends to the state’s close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, likely since it isn’t just Massachusetts heating up.⁴ All six New England states (Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, and Rhode Island) have reportedly experienced “3-4 degree Fahrenheit increase[s] in temperature.”⁵ New England winters are warming up fast, and proving to stand out compared to other U.S states.

While the average temperature changes may seem slight, even two degrees above freezing can cause large-scale climatic changes. The lack of freezing has already begun to cause issues in local plants, which generally experience a winter’s worth of frozen ground. The warm temperatures have also shifted fish migration, risking the jobs of countless Northeast fishermen who rely on their usual migration patterns.⁶ Between 1996 and 2017, 16% of all fishing jobs in New England have already been lost.⁷ Likewise, along with the potential loss of fishing and other winter-reliant jobs like ski resorts and other winter sports, the warming temperatures have the potential to heavily change weather patterns across the region.

At the rate New England is heating up (3.29 degrees Fahrenheit in the last 120 years), the area is at risk of extreme precipitation events and rising sea levels. Furthermore, the extreme precipitation is anticipated to “more than double by the end of this century.”⁸ According to the Providence Journal, 12-30% of future precipitation is projected to take the form of rainfall instead of snow.⁹ Additionally, with the warming temperatures, “the number of snow events is expected to decline from an average of five each month of winter to one to three.”¹⁰ Without any changes, the trajectory of life in New England is on track to look vastly different.

“Here’s the climate reality: By 2035, the Northeast is expected to be more than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) warmer, on average, than it was before the Industrial Revolution.”¹¹

So what can we do to prevent this intense warming? The scary truth is that New England is heating up fast. It is nearly impossible to stop climate change from happening altogether. However, there is always something to be done as an individual. Much of the heat in the Atlantic Ocean is due to human activity releasing more and more CO₂ into the atmosphere. CO₂ is released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burnt, like in the transportation of large vehicles like cars, planes, trucks, and trains. The ocean then absorbs some of that CO2, thus heating up the waters. Being conscious of your carbon footprint can help reduce these emissions. Consider how much travel you are doing per year, and whether you might be able to adjust your transportation methods to something more sustainable, like a bike, skateboard, or carpool. While other factors are unpreventable, like large factories and industrial processes, cutting back on your personal travel can make a big difference.¹² On a larger scale, consider reaching out to your local congress representative. While this might seem daunting, using resources like Citizens Climate Lobby allows one to find their congress representative with just a few clicks and quickly send a message pushing for action combatting the current climate crisis.¹³ Congressmen have the power to instill real change in the greater community and can help to slow the effects of the fast-warming New England temperatures. Nevertheless, the 2022-2023 winter was not merely just warm. Despite peaks and falls throughout the past hundred years, trends show that all of New England’s winters are getting hotter, and heating up fast.¹⁴ Furthermore, it isn’t just the winter months that concern researchers. While winter months have experienced the most warming, average annual New England temperatures between 1900 and 2020 have increased more than 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit.¹⁵ Moving forward, if sustainable changes combatting wasteful toxins like greenhouse gasses aren’t made, New England– along with the rest of the world– is expected to experience numerous new changes in weather patterns, average temperature, and other important aspects of daily life.

Cover Image: Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash

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