![A winter hike with bare snow cover on Mt. Moriah, NH. Photo by Corey David Photography.](https://cdn.outdoors.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/29124235/DSC8409_mo-AMC00040031-1024x683.jpg)
![A winter hike with bare snow cover on Mt. Moriah, NH. Photo by Corey David Photography.](https://cdn.outdoors.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/29124235/DSC8409_mo-AMC00040031-1024x683.jpg)
![A winter hike with bare snow cover on Mt. Moriah, NH. Photo by Corey David Photography.](https://cdn.outdoors.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/29124235/DSC8409_mo-AMC00040031-1024x683.jpg)
A winter hike with bare snow cover on Mt. Moriah, NH. Photo by Corey David Photography.
Winters in our region from Maine to Virginia have changed. We’ve lost three weeks of winter weather and snow cover in the Northeast over the last 100 years. Massachusetts has lost 27 days of snow cover, and Rhode Island and Connecticut have lost more than 30. In the Mid-Atlantic, regions are experiencing less than 25% of their usual snowfall, and are expected to see the number of days below 20 degrees Fahrenheit each winter drop from 43 to 14. Our cold-weather conditions are drastically changing.
But there’s hope: we can still mitigate these changes and limit how much more winter we lose in the future. As scientists have done more research into winter, they’re learning more about the importance of snow. AMC researchers have been studying snow and winter in the Northeast for over 30 years with your support. This is especially important in the face of climate change, which has already changed our winters irreversibly and will continue to do so. AMC’s researchers are taking a deeper look at snow refugia, places where snow still accumulates even though winters are warming. In the forests of the Northeast, studying snow refugia helps us understand how to protect winter conditions.
![An AMC volunteer leader kneels to take a Community Snow Observation with a measuring stick.](https://cdn.outdoors.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/29123823/editA1652EA4-1E2B-41E1-856B-2C4E8549850D_4-copy-1024x684.png)
![An AMC volunteer leader kneels to take a Community Snow Observation with a measuring stick.](https://cdn.outdoors.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/29123823/editA1652EA4-1E2B-41E1-856B-2C4E8549850D_4-copy-1024x684.png)
![An AMC volunteer leader kneels to take a Community Snow Observation with a measuring stick.](https://cdn.outdoors.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/29123823/editA1652EA4-1E2B-41E1-856B-2C4E8549850D_4-copy-1024x684.png)
An AMC volunteer leader takes a Community Snow Observation.
Snow refugia help keep more snow on the ground later into the season. In these areas snow acts like a blanket, keeping the cold winter air off the soil, which keeps the soil warmer. Snow refugia keeps water locked up as snow instead of as runoff, which mitigates spring flooding. Snow also protects young or overwintering plants and animals from wind, ice, and other frigid winter conditions.
How do these snowy blankets stay in place despite warming conditions? That’s the million-dollar question! By identifying where snow refugia are in our region, AMC can research how certain places resist the effects of climate change. And if we can figure that out, we can focus conservation efforts on promoting and protecting resilient places.
![Bare snow cover in the woods.](https://cdn.outdoors.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/29124034/DSC8217_mo-AMC00039975-1024x683.jpg)
![Bare snow cover in the woods.](https://cdn.outdoors.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/29124034/DSC8217_mo-AMC00039975-1024x683.jpg)
![Bare snow cover in the woods.](https://cdn.outdoors.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/29124034/DSC8217_mo-AMC00039975-1024x683.jpg)
An unseasonably early thaw on Mt. Moriah in NH. Photo by Corey David Photography
While AMC’s Research team gathers the scientific data, AMC’s Policy team puts it into action. AMC presses policymakers to use science-based information when passing environmental legislation. Join our Policy team’s advocacy efforts by joining AMC’s Conservation Action Network.
When you support AMC, you’re supporting scientists working to understand our environment and protect our planet. By making a contribution to support AMC today, you’re protecting critical landscapes for the well-being of people and the outdoors.
Donate Now to Fight for the Future of Winter
![Snow over a lake at sunset in MWI.](https://cdn.outdoors.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/29123501/CaitBourgault-111_mo-AMC00036964-1024x684.jpg)
![Snow over a lake at sunset in MWI.](https://cdn.outdoors.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/29123501/CaitBourgault-111_mo-AMC00036964-1024x684.jpg)
![Snow over a lake at sunset in MWI.](https://cdn.outdoors.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/29123501/CaitBourgault-111_mo-AMC00036964-1024x684.jpg)
AMC Little Lyford Lodge and Cabins, Maine Woods. Photo by Cait Bourgault.