A Warmer Minnesnowta
I grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Since moving away from my hometown and traveling outside the Midwest, I have heard many people refer to it as “Minnesnowta” or say things like “Ugh, I could never stand how cold it gets!” I once met a girl from California while in Germany and she asked me if it actually snows where I’m from. I used to agree, that yes, Saint Paul gets very cold.
Unfortunately, I have seen the effects of climate change just in my lifetime. I remember freezing waiting for the school bus in the winter and now when I visit, the winters seem much milder. As seen in the graph below the average annual temperature of the Twin Cities, Minneapolis and Saint Paul, has increased by 3.2 ºF, which is higher than national and global temperature rates (Effects of Climate Change in Minnesota).
(Photo credit: What Climate Changes Means for Minnesota, EPA)
I haven’t noticed any changes in the amount of snow my hometown gets each year. Sometimes it’s enough to build a fort in the backyard and sometimes it’s not even a white Christmas. I have noticed that there seems to be much more rain each spring and fall. And indeed, since 1951 there has been an average of 20% more rain each year, over 5.5 inches (Effects of Climate Change in Minnesota). The heavier precipitation causes worsening floods and damage to property. There has also been more freezing rain or sleet instead of snow during the winter. Climate models based in Minnesota show that there will continue to be at least small increases in annual precipitation and that each rainfall event will happen less frequently. Less snow and warmer temperatures will mean a shortened winter season for activities such as ice fishing and skiing. The Great Lakes shipping season has lengthened by 8 days due to warmer temperatures keeping the lakes from freezing (What Climate Change Means for Minnesota).
Warmer temperatures in Minnesota will also change the range of native species. Fish like trout and walleye cannot survive if the water is too warm and Minnesota has already seen a loss in its population sizes. Algae blooms do well in warm water but can suffocate any fish in the water by using all the oxygen. Migratory birds are returning to Minnesota earlier and breeding sooner too. Native species are seeing changes when their preferred food sources are available. Even the range of tree species will change with warmer temperatures. Species like balsam fir, black spruce, and paper birch will not survive outside of their preferred temperature range. This will leave Minnesota forests open to succession for species that can tolerate the warmer temperatures like maples or oaks (What Climate Change Means for Minnesota).
The most important thing I have taken away from this course is that even a little bit can matter a lot. It may have only been one boat that brought Zebra Mussels into the Great Lakes, but it dramatically altered the waterways of the United States. But one wolf can have dramatic effects on the ecosystem by limiting the number of deer that eat plants in an area. Climate change too can be looked at in this frame. Some people may not think that an increase of 1º really matters, but as we’ve discussed in botany 450, it definitely does.
Works Cited
“Effects of Climate Change in Minnesota.” Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 9 Dec. 2021,
https://www.pca.state.mn.us/air/effects-climate-change-minnesota.
“What Climate Change Means for Minnesota .” Environmental Protection Agency, Aug. 2016,
https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/climate-change-
mn.pdf.
Hi Mia!
ReplyDeleteI can see so many similarities to our observations of weather in our hometowns. It is crazy to think that even just in our lifetimes we can observe such noticeable differences, and it really makes me wonder about the changes we will both see going into the future. Will they be good changes, will they be bad? Will we have white winters again? I remain hopeful but only time will tell.
Hi! As someone who grew up in Wisconsin, I also have memories of freezing waiting for the bus outside and being able to make massive snow forts, but unfortunately I have noticed the effects of climate change on how much snow we receive annually. Growing up there was always a plethora of snow on the ground during the winter, but now it is few and far in between when the snow that actually falls remains on the ground for more than a day. It will be interesting to see how much the precipitation in the midwest changes, specifically with the amount of snow, as temperatures keep rising due to climate change. I wonder if at this point the environmental damage caused by climate changed can be completely reversed or if we are suck with snowless holidays and winter months.
ReplyDeleteHi Mia, your story reminded me of a similar experience. While on vacation as a child, I meet some kids in the pool from New York. They were almost amazed that they were meeting someone from a state that they likely had thought of less than a dozen times in their short lives. They asked me about Minnesota, and if it snowed all year there. A silly question due to the fact that northern half of New York is at the same latitudinal line as the southern part of Minnesota. Point is, the repetition of MinneSNOWta is strong. But as a fellow Minnesotan, I can tell you that I see the change too. The winters are getting warmer and the springs shorter, the falls hotter.
ReplyDeleteHi Mia! I share a lot of similarities with your story of living in the Midwest and how temperatures like to bump around. It's nice to hear that other people share the same experiences as me but it is not nice to see climate change having a drastic effect on our lives. It scares me knowing that our climate may only get worse if human behavior doesn’t improve and how drastic changes in our climate have already begun in our lifetime. I hope that our generation and others after us can continue to enjoy the climate and take action against the causes of climate change.
ReplyDelete