These U.S. cities were hit with at least two weeks of hotter temperatures due to climate change last year

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More than 71 million Americans felt at least two weeks worth of warmer winter temperatures that were made at least twice as likely to occur due to climate change, a new report has found.

Winter is the fastest-warming season for most of the country and unusually warm winter days now happen more often than in previous years. This shift can contribute to worse and longer allergy seasons, affect crops that depend on chilly weather conditions, impact water levels and result in higher cooling demand during warm seasons.

In 17 states, the average resident experienced warmer-than-normal temperatures in the winter, non-profit Climate Central said.

“The average person in these states experienced between one (Mississippi) and 76 (Hawaii) winter days with temperatures made at least twice as likely due to climate change,” the group’s report explained.

More than 71 million Americans felt at least two weeks worth of above-average temperatures in the winter that were made twice as likely due to climate change (Getty Images)

Of the 247 cities Climate Central analyzed between the months of December and February, 38 percent — or 14 — had average temperatures that were warmer than normal, compared to their seasonal average between 1991 and 2020.

The cities, which were located primarily in the West, all had a warmer-than-normal winter. For example, San Francisco was 1.5 degrees warmer, and Anchorage, Alaska, was 7.6 degrees warmer.

The analysis used what is known as the Climate Shift Index to determine the influence of human-caused climate change on daily average temperatures. The index shows a change in how frequently certain temperatures occur around the globe and how much climate change has raised the odds of a particular temperature.

It is ranked using a scale from zero to five, with zero indicating that the influence of climate change on the weather conditions is not detectable and five show that climate change made the conditions at least five times more likely.

Out of more than 200 cities, Climate Central found that Anchorage, Alaska, had the second most days made twice as likely due to climate change. Puerto Rico’s capital of San Juan was No. 1 (Getty Images)

San Juan, Puerto Rico, ranked the highest, with 89 days at that level.

While San Juan and Honolulu, Hawaii, saw the most days with a strong influence of climate change, Alaska experienced the largest departure from its normal winter temperatures. It was 6.9 degrees warmer than its seasonal average.

“Three of the four U.S. cities with the highest departures from normal winter temperatures were in Alaska, with average temperatures that ranged from 4.1 degrees (Juneau) to 8.4 degrees (Fairbanks) warmer than normal,” Climate Central said. “Anchorage and Juneau experienced among the most total days with a strong influence of climate change (51 and 47 respectively).”

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