Have Rochester winters lost their bite? It certainly seems like it
Western New Yorkers are used to bundling up for the cold and snowy months, but recently things have changed.
As kids, we used to wait for the bus in head-to-toe snow gear, watching all of the fluffy snow stick to the ground waiting for us to create a snowman out of it. But now, kids these days are left to watch the leftover patches of slowly melting ice on the grass. So, what's with these warm winters in NY?
This upcoming week, Rochester's frustrating winter weather will be at it again with warmer temperatures on Thursday and Friday. Are these warmer temps normal? And when, if ever, will we see the traditional Western New York winter weather that we all know and love?
Warmer temps on Thursday and Friday in Rochester NY
Temperatures on Thursday will be nearing 50 degrees, while on Friday they will be around 52.
Is this normal for February in Rochester?
Weather Service meteorologist Liz Jurkowski says these temperatures are lower than the record highs for these two days in February, but these temps are higher than the average 39 degrees Rochester is accustomed to seeing during this month.
Record highest temperature in Rochester for Feb. 8: 63 degrees
Record highest temperature in Rochester for Feb. 9: 62 degrees
Though this week's temps will be lower than the record highest we've seen before, these warmer days will continue to make it harder to participate in the winter activities that Western New Yorkers are used to.
According to Jurkowski, we should be expecting a cold front coming Friday night and into Saturday, creating cooler temperatures next week that are more in line with February's average temps.
Accuweather meteorologist Paul Pastelok believes there could be a window of opportunity at the end of February into early March for potential winter storms to come up the East Coast, leading to the traditional winter weather we usually see around this time.
How permanent are these slow changes to Rochester's winter weather?
New York faces fewer cold days in winter
Using data from 240 U.S. weather stations, Climate Central analyzed the change in the number of winter days with unusually warm temperatures since 1970. Unusually warm winter days are defined as days at or above the upper 10th percentile of the local daily maximum temperature distribution during winters from 1970 to 2023.
On average, Rochester now experiences seven more extremely warm-for-winter days than it did in 1970s, according to Climate Central.
Their data shows that in the 1970s, there were 42 highly warm-for-winter days on average in Rochester, whereas now it's 49 on average.
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What does this mean for our winters going forward? We will keep diving into that question. Please email us at Steve Howe or Madison Scott if you have stories to share about winters past or frustrations with current conditions.
— Madison Scott is a college journalist who is an intern with the Democrat and Chronicle. She has an interest in how the system helps or doesn't help families with missing loved ones. She can be reached at [email protected]. Tell her if you have a good history book recommendation, especially about the Rochester region.
This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Weather in Rochester NY: Have winters here lost their bite?
