Winter is the fastest-warming season in Florida and for across much of the eastern half of the U.S.
Orlando’s winter has warmed 2 degrees Fahrenheit since 1970. There are cities such as Burlington in Vermont that have warmed 7 degrees since 1970. Other locations in Minnesota, North Dakota and Iowa have warmed at least 5.9 degrees since the start of the '70s.
Warmer winters can sound appealing to some people, especially across the northern U.S. where temperatures can be subfreezing for much of the season, but the consequences outweigh the benefits.
There are many industries that depend on cold winters, such as the tourism and sport sectors. Snow can melt faster, which means a decreasing snowpack that brings great stress to water levels in reservoirs, ultimately affecting agriculture, too. Less snowpack could also lead to drier vegetation, which could increase wildfires.
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Also, cold temperatures tend to terminate plague. If places where a plague propagates while it's warm and moist continue with sustainable temperatures and moisture levels, then airborne diseases continue to live and spread among humans.
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“The greatest warming along the northern states emphasizes a general rule of climate change — cold areas and seasons warm faster than areas and seasons that are already warm," Climate Central, a nonprofit organization, stated in its weekly release. "But there are a few exceptions. Fall is warming the fastest in the Pacific Northwest and spring is warming the fastest in the Southwest. Summers are the fastest-warming season in Texas."
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Warming temperatures also don’t allow our bodies to get necessary relief and heat-related illnesses become more common and put more people at risk.
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Our pocket also takes a toll. The electric grid becomes more stressed, causing our electric bill to stress us.
Warming WintersWarming winters: a multi-million dollar stress. Florida's winters are warming faster than any other season.
Posted by Irene Sans on Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Cox Media Group
