Study finds New England warming at a faster rate than majority of locations on Earth

The northeastern United States, commonly celebrated for its colonial landmarks, maple syrup traditions, and harsh, snowy winters, is undergoing a dramatic climatic shift. Recent research indicates that New England is warming more rapidly than nearly anywhere else on the planet.

The region now ranks as the fastest-heating area in the continental US, second only to the Alaskan Arctic. Researchers note that the pace of warming has accelerated notably over the past five years. Stephen Young, a climate scientist at Salem State University, who co-authored the study with his son Joshua Young, commented, Temperatures are not just risingtheyre speeding up. This recent acceleration is striking. After 10,000 years of relative stability, New Englands climate is shifting quickly.

The study, published in the Climate journal, highlights that the northeastern US is among the globes most rapidly warming regions, alongside the Arctic, parts of Europe, and China. New England is beginning to resemble the southeastern United States in terms of temperature trends, the researchers noted.

To assess the changes, the Youngs examined three historical datasets covering daytime and nighttime temperatures, along with snow cover, from 1900 onward. The study found that New England, which includes Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, has warmed by an average of 2.5C (4.5F) between 1900 and 2024well above the global average increase of 1.3C over the same period.

The warming trend is particularly pronounced in winter. Nighttime and minimum temperatures are rising faster than daytime highs, and winter temperatures are climbing at twice the rate of other seasons. This trend is reshaping the regions traditionally frigid winters.

One factor driving this accelerated warming is the changing behavior of the Atlantic Ocean. The oceans absorb over 90% of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases, and recent years have seen record ocean temperatures. Near New England, melting glaciers in Greenland are releasing cold freshwater into the North Atlantic, which slows the Gulf Stream. This forces warmer waters into the Gulf of Maine, concentrating heat along the coast, which is then carried inland by prevailing winds.

The oceans act like a giant battery, storing excess heat from climate change, Young explained. Now that energy is being released into the atmosphere, and New England is experiencing the effects.

The region, once considered a mild climate haven, has faced extreme weather events, including severe flooding and prolonged droughts. The ongoing warming also threatens local traditions and industries. Maple syrup production is at risk, and winter sports have been disrupted. Ice hockey tournaments on Vermont and New Hampshire lakes have been canceled or relocated due to insufficient ice, and ski resorts struggle with diminished snowfall.

I live just north of Boston, and in the 1990s, skating on the ponds was common. That activity has largely vanished in southern New England, Young added, highlighting the tangible impact of rising temperatures on daily life.

Author: Caleb Jennings