As you've probably heard, average yearly temperatures in the contiguous U.S. states have been rising in recent decades -- with 2012 being the hottest ever. What you may not have noticed is that our coldest states have been heating up the most, and despite the numerous heat waves and mega-droughts of recent years, our winters have been warming at faster rates than our summers.
In a report [pdf] released last week, Climate Central found that since 1970, winter warming has accelerated everywhere in the contiguous U.S. except for one state: Nevada. The cold-loving set hasn’t been so lucky in Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Vermont, and South Dakota, where average winter temperatures have increased by at least 4 degrees Fahrenheit.
The infographic above shows how Old Man Winter has been faring in every state since the '70s. But just because you're in a yellow or green zone, don't think you've been spared. Although wintertime temps in Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado are holding fairly steady, those locales have seen some of the highest warming rates across all four seasons. If you’re curious about heat trends throughout the year, see below. Suddenly, Nevada doesn't seem all that cool after all.
