MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo. — Weather data from the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) confirms that this past winter in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) was significantly longer and colder than average, placing it among the coldest winters on record.
According to NWS, the park received 113-137 percent snowpack at various locations, with below-average temps in Mammoth and Old Faithful, ranking this winter as the top five and top three coldest, respectively, in recorded history. In the Tetons, this past season ranked as one of the snowiest on record.
Although it was cold winter, YNP reminds the public that weather and climate are different. Climate data shows that Yellowstone’s winters have been getting milder, with 80-100 more days above freezing than in the 1960s.
“Weather is what you experience when you step outside on any given day,” said YNP. “In other words, it is the state of the atmosphere at a particular location over the short-term. Climate is the average of the weather patterns in a location over a longer period of time, usually 30 years or more.”
In short, a cold day in July doesn’t mean climate change isn’t happening, just like a hot day in January doesn’t either.
“Weather can do whatever it wants. But when you average weather over long periods of time you start to see trends. And the trend we’re seeing here and across the planet is that things are getting warmer.”
