“I remember when I was a kid, we would get cold like this every few weeks. And it would stick around. Now it is more like every few months. and it only lasts a day or two.”
Had someone stop me the other day and ask me when it was going to snow, given the colder temperatures. I said it was unlikely, at any time, in South Mississippi. The above quote was their response.
According to data pulled from the record books by the folks as Climate Central, that quote is a pretty sound hypothesis. It turns out that the average cold snap for South Mississippi isn’t lasting as long as it did in years past.
And while that is disheartening for Winter-Lovers in the area, it also has other ramifications.
Climate Central writes:
Warmer winters may seem like an inviting prospect, but they come with consequences that aren’t always immediately obvious. Cold temperatures are important in limiting pest populations–which is why many parts of the country have experienced expansions in mosquito seasons.
Periods of consistent cold are important for the plant development – for instance, fruit trees (such as apple, peach and cherry trees) rely on this time of dormancy in order to produce fruit the following spring and summer. Some local communities also depend on cold weather for the success of winter-based economies, such as ski resorts, as well as for the continuity of traditional and indigenous practices, such as ice fishing.
Climate Central
This Winter
During the 2019-2020 winter, so far the longest streak of below-average days is just four days. That was back in early December.
All is not lost, the Climate Prediction Center is showing the chance for some colder air to be just to the north of South Mississippi during February. There is a chance some of it sneaks down here.
But, the chances of prolonged cold for the area just aren’t as high as they were 30 to 40 years ago.
