When you think of Ithaca, a few things might come to mind: the beautiful gorges scattered across town, an Ivy League university, local festivities like the Farmer’s Market, and, of course, the unpredictable and quite unexplainable weather patterns. This is even more true if you’ve been paying attention to the weather over the last few months. While one might expect snow at this time of year, so far we’ve experienced an abundance of slush, puddles, fog, and not much snow. And, if you were like me, you checked the snow day calculator on the nights snow was forecasted, only to show up to school the next day.
According to a study reviewed in The Ithaca Voice from this past December, researchers found an average snowfall of sixty-eight inches fifty years ago. However, in the last ten years, that average has become fifty-seven inches. This change is also observable across the whole country, as the average temperature has increased by 2.7 degrees just this winter. Specifically, the Northeast and Upper Midwest regions are experiencing the most rapid warming, according to a study conducted by Climate Central. These gradual decreases in temperature are a result of none other than the persisting climate change crisis.
So, what does this mean for the future of our Ithacan winters?
For one, as long as the climate crisis worsens, we can expect these warm winters to persist. Each year, less snow will fall, and our beloved snowy Ithacan holidays and snow days may slowly start to be a thing of the past, as unfortunate as it sounds. However, even if you prefer warmer weather, climate change is not beneficial. With the shift from winter to spring likely to happen earlier, an increase in diseases caused by bugs such as Lyme disease is likely to come about. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the rate of Lyme disease infection has almost doubled since 1991, likely as a result of the warmer winter temperatures that encourages bugs and insects to migrate back north.
These warm winters are a result of our own actions, and it will take our own actions to prevent its progression. Simple actions such as walking instead of driving, recycling and disposing properly, and being mindful of how much energy we are emitting into the environment, are small steps to be taken, not just to restore snow to Ithacan winters, but for the sake of our planet. Without a mass effort to make these little changes, rainy, slushy, balmy winters will soon be a reality. Accepting the balmy winter weather is only the beginning of something worse, and there is still room to prevent that from happening sooner than it should. While the deranged snowy winters may be dreaded, you have to admit that they add a lot to Ithaca’s character. Can you imagine Ithaca without the irrational weather? If this is so notable to Ithaca, why are we taking away from it? Take this as a sign to be mindful of how you are treating our environment and planet because change can’t be made if it’s overlooked.