Global Warming’s Wake-Up Call For the Northern Unitied States

This is the first page of the report.  To read the 12-page document click on the following link NWF and select the ODBALL WINTER WEATHER REPORT.

NATI O N A L W I L D L I F E F E D E R A T I O N 2 0 1 0:C O N F R O N T I N G G L O B A L W A R M I N G
in the northern United States. Winter is becoming milder and shorter on average; spring arrives 10 to 14 days earlier than it did just 20 years ago. But most snowbelt areas are still experiencingMilder winters disrupt ecosystems in some surprising ways.  Bitter cold temperatures naturally limit the spread of pests, diseases, and invasive species. The absence of extreme winter cold across the mountainous West has enabled an explosion of mountain pine beetles and caused a massive die-off of pine forests. Some important plants—–for example, walnuts, peaches, and cherries—–require a certain exposure to cold in order to flourish. Plants and animals also can be caught unawares when milder conditions are punctuated by severe winter weather. Across the Great Plains and Southeast United States, a cold snap in early April 2007 caused more than $2 billion in crop losses after an unusually warm March led to premature crop growth.  Large economic uncertainty and potential losses are in store for  many communities, especially in regions where winter recreation provides significant tourism revenue. Many ski resorts will seeWe can keep winters cool and safeguard communities and nature.  Curbing global warming pollution as much and as quickly as possible is an essential first step. At the same time, we need to take steps to help communities, winter-dependent industries, and wildlife prepare for some of the changes that we can not avoid. We can no longer plan based on the climate we used to have.Global warming is having a seemingly peculiar effect on winter weather with extremely heavy snowstorms. Some places are even expected to have more heavy snowfall events as storm tracks shift northward and as reduced ice cover on the Great Lakes increases lake-effect snowfalls. Even as global warming slowly changes the character of winter, we will still experience significant year-to-year variability in snowfall and temperature because many different factors are at play. 

shorter, rainier seasons, which will negatively impact the $66 billion dollar industry and the tens of millions of Americans who ski each year. Lakes across the Midwest are freezing later and have thinner ice, often leading to ice conditions too dangerous for safe ice fishing.  Roadway snow removal and wintertime flood management also will be complicated by more erratic winter weather; government agencies may have to account for much more year-to-year variability.