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As the first heavy snow fell in Syracuse at the end of November, many residents may have wondered what took the usual white blanket so long to arrive. According to meteorologists, the snow’s tardiness is a signal of bigger weather changes across the state.

On average, the first flakes arrive in the city of Syracuse on Nov. 6. This year, the city’s earliest snow — which totaled just 0.2 inches — fell on Nov. 22. The final week of the month brought little more, making November’s total far below the month’s usual 9.8 inches.

These low yields continue trends from last year, when Syracuse saw its warmest winter on record with temperatures 7.3 ℉ above the normal levels. Since September 2020, the city has documented 35 different record highs in winter temperatures.

Experts attributed last winter’s unusual warmth in part to El Niño, a climate phenomenon that results in higher temperatures in the northeastern region of the United States. This, combined with the broader effects of climate change, delivered lots of rain and little snow.

In New York state, many weather patterns are impacted by water levels in the Great Lakes. Much of the snowfall across the region is a result of the lake effect from Lake Ontario, a phenomenon that causes heavy snowfall as a result of warmer lake temperatures. As warm water evaporates, cold wind from the north carries the moisture into the atmosphere, delivering snow to much of the northeastern United States.

As lower and lower amounts of ice form each winter on the Great Lakes, the amount of exposed, warmer water increases, fueling extreme weather events such as sporadic snowstorms.

Scientists speculate that by the end of the century, the lake-effect storms that have historically covered the city in snow for half of the year will primarily yield rainstorms, according to the Journal of Great Lakes Research.

With the start of December, snowfall has returned to a more normal rate, with the central New York region expected to receive over one foot of snow from Thursday through Friday, syracuse.com reported.

Sophia Burke | Design Editor

These lowering yields of snow continue trends from last year, when Syracuse saw its warmest winter on record with temperatures 7.3 ℉ above the normal levels.

Despite the recent snowflakes, the late first snow, alongside other factors including rising temperatures, is indicative of a larger trend of warming in the broader northeast.

As a result, Syracuse — known as one of the snowiest cities in the country — received 60 inches below its average last winter. In the last six winters, snowfall has v from the average 10 feet of snow by around 40 inches or more.

Syracuse’s summers have also steadily gotten hotter, with the most recent warm season recording the fourth-highest temperatures and its most days above 80 ℉ in any single summer. Average temperatures were 3.6℉ higher than usual.

Six of the last 10 warmest summers occurred within the last 20 years, according to syracuse.com.

Between 1930 and 2007, the total snowfall reported by weather stations across the contiguous United States decreased by 57%. This decline is partly due to higher winter temperatures, causing more rain rather than snow.

Nationally, nearly 80% of stations reported a decrease in the proportion of winter precipitation falling as snow.

In response, many are sounding the alarm and calling for action against climate change in order to address these local effects. Local climate activists are advocating for policy changes to curtail the impact Syracuse is already experiencing.

The Climate, Jobs and Justice Package, spearheaded by NY Renews, would prioritize environmentally sustainable union jobs, advancing renewable energy infrastructure and holding polluters financially accountable for transitioning to greener energy.

Local efforts also include addressing immediate environmental issues, such as reduced emissions and renewable energy accessibility, through state initiatives like the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Activists urge officials to expedite these measures to meet critical benchmarks, including the 2030 target of 70% renewable energy.

New York state’s Department of Environmental Conservation warns that if action isn’t taken quickly, the state could see extreme storms, inland flooding along the Great Lakes and intense temperatures via heat waves and cold waves in years to come.

Published on December 5, 2024 at 12:54 am

Contact Anna: aclevitt@syr.edu