Something alarming is happening to winters in the U.S., and Colorado is at the forefront of this unsettling trend. It’s not just about warmer days—it’s about a fundamental shift in how winter behaves, and it’s leaving experts deeply concerned. Dr. Russ Schumacher, Colorado State University’s climatologist and director of the Colorado Climate Center, describes the situation as perplexing. He knows Colorado’s climate inside and out, yet even he’s taken aback by the changes unfolding before our eyes.
In a recent interview with CBS News Colorado, Schumacher highlighted the complexity of Colorado’s winters. “Winter here is naturally the most variable season of the year,” he explained. “But while summers show a clear, consistent warming trend, winters are becoming less variable—at least on paper. The problem? It doesn’t always feel that way.” And this is where it gets controversial: Are we misinterpreting the data, or is something more profound at play?
The impacts of our warming planet are unmistakable in the mountain state. Snowpack is melting earlier than ever, and at lower elevations, rain is replacing snow in ways that defy historical norms. “A couple of Februarys ago in Fort Collins, we got over an inch of liquid precipitation—and it was all rain,” Schumacher recalled. “That’s just not something that happens in February. Typically, it’s cold, and it’s snow.” But here’s where it gets even more unsettling: These anomalies aren’t just one-offs—they’re becoming the new normal.
Schumacher admits that winter will still throw curveballs, with weather whiplash bringing dramatic temperature swings. Yet, he’s noticed a troubling pattern: “The snow season is getting compressed. Falls are warmer, and the cold part of winter isn’t lasting as long.” This isn’t just a Colorado problem—it’s a national crisis. Researchers at Climate Central found that since 1970, cities like Colorado Springs and Grand Junction have seen winter temperatures rise by 2.6 and 2.2 degrees, respectively. Even more alarming? Winter is the fastest-warming season in 76% of the 245 U.S. locations analyzed earlier this year.
This trend isn’t just theoretical—it’s measurable. Colorado experienced its 11th warmest October on record this year, and the first 10 months of 2025 ranked as the 12th warmest such period in state history. Nationally, the contiguous U.S. just logged its fourth-warmest November in 131 years, with Colorado contributing significantly to that heat. Denver’s unusually warm fall even prolonged a record-breaking snow drought, which finally ended on November 29 after 224 snowless days—the fourth-longest streak in the city’s history.
But here’s the part most people miss: Warmer winters aren’t just about fewer snowball fights. They have cascading consequences. Earlier snowpack melt increases the risk of year-round wildfires, and reduced mountain snowpack threatens spring meltwater—a lifeline for reservoirs, agriculture, and water demand across the western U.S. “Warming winters can shrink this critical resource,” Climate Central researchers warn. “And that’s a problem for everyone.”
So, what does this mean for the future? Are we witnessing the end of winter as we know it? And if so, what can—or should—we do about it? These questions don’t have easy answers, but one thing is clear: The conversation can’t wait. Do you think these changes are a natural fluctuation, or a dire warning of what’s to come? Let’s debate it in the comments.
