Climate change is transforming Maines coldest season [Video]

Maine is closing the books on one of the warmest and least snowy winters on record.

But it’s increasingly feeling like the new normal.

“Weather varies from one year to the next, but the long-term trend is clear: The winters are much warmer than they used to be,” said state climatologist Sean Birkel of University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute. “Our winters look and feel different: more rain, less snow, more bare ground, earlier ice outs.”

This winter’s weather, and the long-term warming trend, spells trouble for the snowmobile industry, the ice fishing derbies and dog sledding races, and drives up operational costs for Maine’s ski resorts. But it’s not all bad: Plowing and sanding expenses are down, as well as home heating demand.

The winter of 2023-24 had some notable extremes, even though it didn’t quite break any statewide records, Birkel said.

The average 2023-24 winter temperature in Maine, which climatologists define as running from December through …