Many cities from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes have been setting new records for daily and monthly high temperatures this winter. Record warmth in February—a time that’s supposed to still feel like winter—might not sound like such a bad thing, but its negative consequences spread across the plant world, sports, tourism and agriculture. And it is another clear sign that our planet is warming rapidly.

Robert Wilson, associate professor of geography and environment, says the Northeast as a whole is now a “fast-warming region,” with winter seasons warming faster than summers due to the climate crisis.

And he underscores how this trend is threatening some of New England’s most cherished winter activities.

“In coming decades, winter—as most people understand it—will get shorter and warmer, with less snow and more rain,” Wilson says. “This poses a serious threat to winter recreation: snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and downhill skiing.”