The Mostly Mundane Winter of 2021–2022

It’s April, and it’s time for winter to crawl back into hibernation. The Accumulated Winter Season Severity Index, or AWSSI, shows how it behaved.

The Accumulated Winter Season Severity Index (AWSSI) as of April 2, 2022. Each dot is a location where AWSSI is calculated daily throughout the winter. Colors of dots correspond to categories of winter severity, from mild (red) to extreme (purple). Map courtesy of the Midwestern Regional Climate Center.

The Accumulated Winter Season Severity Index, or AWSSI (pronounced like “Aussie”), tallies a “score” throughout the winter season based on temperatures, snowfall, and snowpack on the ground. As winter throws its cold and snowy stones, the score goes…