The Pacific Northwest has had an unusually warm winter. This year, Portland saw one of the warmest winters it has seen in the last 88 years. In fact, this February was one of the warmest and driest months in the nation’s records. But what do these warmer winters mean for snow?

A new study from the University of Washington found that warming temperatures leads to snow crusts happening more often in colder areas. This increase can pose new challenges for avalanche forecasting, ski operations and even for local wildlife. Clinton Alden is a PhD student at UW and the lead author of the study. He joins us to share more details.

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/03/26/think-out-loud-uw-study-rising-temperatures-avalanche-risk/