Seattle's coldest days are getting warmer
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Thirty-year average coldest temperatures are rising almost universally nationwide, including in the Seattle metro area, a new analysis found.
Why it matters: Such a shift can affect us in a variety of ways — changing which plants and insects thrive in our neighborhoods, for example, amid other impacts of climate change.
Driving the news: The 30-year average coldest temperature for 1995-2024 compared with 1951-1980 was higher in 97% of the 243 locations analyzed by Climate Central, a research and communications group.
- Among the locations with an increase, the coldest annual temperature was 3.7°F higher on average.
- The group's analysis is based on data from NOAA's Regional Climate Centers.
Zoom in: The Seattle metro area saw a 3.7°F increase in average coldest temperature between the two 30-year periods.
- Spring is also getting warmer, with the region experiencing a greater number of hotter days as extreme heat events become more frequent and intense.
Zoom out: In the Northwest, Boise, Idaho (6.9°F), had the biggest increase, followed by Bend, Oregon (6.7), and Lewiston, Idaho (6.6).