Ohio winters are heating up

This time of year in Ohio is known for its major swings in temperature.

• As the saying goes, if you don't like the weather in the Buckeye State, just wait five minutes.
• To paraphrase another personal favorite — the temperature dropped from 65 to 40 like it saw a state trooper.

The big picture: But when it comes to long-term weather patterns, Ohio temperatures are trending in only one direction: up.

What they did: Researchers with Climate Central reviewed more than a half-century of winter weather data in 246 locations throughout the U.S.

What they found: Nearly every single location (98%) saw an increase in their average winter temperature over the past 50 years.

• The winter months of December, January and February make up the fastest-warming season for most states.

Zoom in: The Great Lakes region, which includes Ohio, saw the biggest impact of winter warming.

• The average winter temperature in Columbus jumped 4.5 degrees between 1970 and 2021.
• Columbus also experiences a greater number of winter days each year with an above-average temperature now than it did in the past.

Yes, but: These are just trends. Any given year still has the potential to be frigid and snowy.

• So don't throw out those coats and scarves any time soon.