Minnesota’s warming climate is making winter fun more dangerous

Winter is the fastest-warming season in the Midwest — more than five degrees on average since 1970, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

All that warming is having an impact on ice formation.

“Climate change is injecting more energy into our weather systems, and that’s resulting in in just more extreme extremes,” journalist Kristoffer Tigue told MPR’s Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner. Tigue wrote about the shift in ice trends for Inside Climate News.

Warmer temperatures could result in a later start for ice formation and a shorter lifespan for lake ice. Add a rapid temperature swing in the middle of winter and the ice can become increasingly unstable.

“On some of the hotter winters, there’s spikes in these fatalities related to falling through the ice,” Tigue said.

To hear the full conversation, click play on the audio player above or subscribe to the Climate Cast podcast.