Jack Scheff interviewed for ‘Recent data reveals the number of extremely cold weather days is shrinking’
Jack Scheff, assistant professor of geography and earth sciences, was interviewed for Spectrum News 1’s ‘Recent data reveals the number of extremely cold weather days is shrinking.’
Cold snaps are shrinking by an average of six days across the United States due to climate change. Warmer winters can affect pests and some agricultural areas in the long run, as well as winter recreational activities that western North Carolina relies on for tourism.
“A lot of pests species can survive the winter when they used to not be able to do that. So, this could be a problem for agriculture going forward. There are also some crops that depend on temperatures that are cold enough during the winter — they have crop chilling requirements,” Scheff said. “So, that could be an issue with our crops as well, with the winters not being as cold.”