Vermont's Climate Has Changed
Since 1900, the Earth has warmed by 1.5°F, with most of that warming occurring since 1970. Over this same time period and especially since the 1960s, Vermont has been getting warmer and wetter:
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Spring is arriving two weeks earlier and winter starting one week later, as compared to 1960.3
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Air temperatures in Vermont have increased more than 4°F in winter and more than 2°F in summer over the past 50 years. Only New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Delaware warmed faster over this time.4
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Lake Champlain temperatures increased between 2°F and 7°F (varying by measurement location) from 1964 to 2009. Out of 135 winters from 1816 to 1950, Lake Champlain froze over all but seven times. Out of 26 winters since 1990, Lake Champlain has failed to freeze over 16 times.5
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Annual precipitation in Vermont has increased by almost 7 inches over the past 50 years. This increase was exceeded only by Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. The number of days with heavy precipitation of more than 1 inch has almost doubled over this same period.4
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Vermont's Climate Will Change in the Future
Vermont will continue to get warmer and experience more frequent heavy precipitation events. By the end of the century, Vermont climate scientists expect:6
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The frost-free season will likely increase by several weeks, with more rain and less snow in winter.
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The number of hot days reaching 87°F or warmer are expected to increase from about six per year currently to more than 20 per year.
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The heaviest 0.1% of precipitation events (about 3 inches of rain or more) will increase in frequency from once every seven years to once every two to three years.
It is important to remember that climate change has long-term impacts, but that weather patterns will continue to vary widely year-by-year and place-by-place. Even while the Earth has experienced an overall warming trend in recent years, some locations have experienced short-term conditions that have been colder than normal.