Winter on Arctic coast now ends earlier by a week, over 60 years

Winter on the Arctic coast has shortened by five to ten days over the past six decades, with researchers confirming that the season ends significantly earlier now compared to 60 years ago, according to the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology.

Scientists from the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology under the Russian Academy of Sciences have found that winter in coastal areas of the Arctic seas is ending earlier—by approximately five to ten days—than it did six decades ago. The findings are based on extensive research of snow cover and temperatures across 620 Arctic weather stations.

"Despite almost equal average values of changes in the date of winters' end and beginning, the season duration in the Russian Arctic varies unevenly," the institute's press service told TASS. In particular, the study found that winters in the European part of the Russian Arctic now begin three to ten days later compared to the eastern regions, excluding Chukotka.

Researchers noted that the Arctic region is experiencing climate change at a pace faster than anywhere else on Earth. The study, which tracked data from 1958 to 2023, aimed to assess how global climate change is altering seasonal boundaries. Scientists used daily average air temperature and snow cover data to map changes in the timing and duration of winter.

The team created schematic maps with interpolation surfaces, comparing changes in winter boundaries against two reference periods: 1961–1990 and 1991–2020. These maps visually illustrate the retreat of winter across different parts of the Russian Arctic.

According to the researchers, snow cover formation and melting serve as key indicators of climatic shifts, making the Arctic an essential focus in the study of global warming.

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