Long Island winters become less fierce amid rising temperatures

Meteorological winter begins Monday in the Northern Hemisphere, but it’s unlikely to be as fierce on Long Island, where winters are warming faster than the national average, according to data analyzed by Climate Central, an independent research organization.

Heat-trapping gases that have been pumped into the Earth's atmosphere, in growing quantities since the start of the industrial age, have altered both the timing and intensity of the season, the group says.

Discussions of global warming often focus on extreme summer heat and the drought, wildfires and misery that come with it. But meteorological winter — December through February — is heating up faster than summer in most of the United States, Climate Central found, based on records from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra