If you're holding out hope that it will snow here again like it did on Jan. 19, 1977 — the last time it snowed in Tampa Bay — climate scientists say the odds are piled high against you.

Driving the news: The winter season isn't as cold as it was 50 years ago, according to Climate Central's latest winter weather analysis.

• Using 52 years of winter temperature data in 246 locations across the U.S., the scientists found that about 98% have seen an increase in average winter temperatures since 1970, with 84% of those locations warming by 2°F or more.

Details: In Tampa, only 16 days of winter were warmer than normal the year it snowed. In 2020, we had 57 warmer winter days than normal.

The big picture: Since 1970, winter is the fastest-warming season for most of the U.S.

• The analysis shows that over the past 50 years, average temperatures increased more in winter than in any other season for 38 out of 49 states.

Yes, but: There can still be cold winters. The likelihood of extreme cold is decreasing but is not zero, and some locations — like the Dakotas and Montana — actually got colder.

⛄️ So hold out hope. Wednesday is the first day of winter.

Researchers at the University of Maine are growing potatoes in Florida in hopes of creating a variety resistant to the effects of climate change.

What's happening: Warmer weather and a longer growing season can lead to disease and quality problems, so crop ecologists are planting new varieties here to test how the spud holds up to heat stress, per the Bangor Daily News.

How it works: Breeding those characteristics into a potato involves cross-pollinating different varieties until they produce new seeds.

• Then the potatoes are tested at different sites across the country for heat tolerance, pest resistance, yield, shipping durability and taste.
• The entire process can take years, but UMaine's project is in the research testing phase.

🥔 Of note: Maine is coming off of a banner year for potatoes, primarily because of the success of the Caribou Russet, a potato developed through UMaine's breeding program.

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A Lutz man has been charged with the murder and dismemberment of Stephanie Crone-Overholts, whose body was found in McKay Bay last week. (Tampa Bay Times)

A woman and two teenage girls were injured over the weekend after someone fired shots into their Palmetto home. (Bradenton Herald)

A Palm Harbor University High School student got a perfect SAT score. (Bay News 9)

Lakeland police shot and killed a man they say pulled a gun on them while stopped on I-4. (WFLA)

Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy celebrated his 200th victory on Friday as the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Seattle Kraken.

• It took just 318 appearances to get the Bolts' career leader in victories his 200th win.

Why it matters: Only one player has gotten to 200 wins faster — Hockey Hall of Famer Ken Dryden, who did it in 309 games.

State of play: Tampa Bay lost to Minnesota Sunday, 4-2, and will face the St. Louis Blues tomorrow at 8pm.

The man who led the task force to capture the D.C. snipers has died.

What happened: Charles Moose, formerly the chief of Montgomery County Police in Maryland, died in his Palm Harbor home on Nov. 26, per the Washington Post. He was 68.

• His wife, Sandy Moose, posted on Facebook that he died while "watching football and sitting in his recliner," but the family did not cite a cause of death.

Why it matters: Moose is known for leading the three-week manhunt for the snipers who killed 10 people in the Washington D.C. area in 2002.

• He was Portland, Oregon's first Black police chief, serving 1993-1999 before moving to Maryland.
• Moose resigned from the department soon after the manhunt amid controversy over payments for the book he wrote about the investigation. He also talked about the case on national talk shows before the snipers had gone to trial.

What they're saying: "His leadership style, the way that he really strongly believed in it, he personified it. It did change a lot of us. He changed the culture," former Portland Police Bureau chief Derrick Foxworth told KGW8.

👋 Selene here. If you still have Thanksgiving leftovers at this point, you've got to figure out how to quickly finish them off.

• Meet your leftover savior: The Stuffle.

Backstory: I'm sure you've seen people sticking all kinds of crap onto their waffle irons on TikTok, but my mother invented this during the Vine era.

• Mix leftover stuffing in a bowl with an egg or two and some broth to make a batter consistency. Feel free to leave in some lumpy stuffing nuggets.
• Then pour onto the waffle iron to create a fresh, crispy treat out of those old leftovers.
• Top with runny eggs and any other Thanksgiving leftovers, like mashed potatoes and gravy or cranberry sauce.

Pro tip: If you make extra batter, no worries. It can hang out in the fridge for about a day. But, c'mon, finish that food already!