- Tags:
- Forest Journal,
- Climate,
- Wildlife
Like many Northern New Englanders, I do not freely admit when exactly I start to wane in my enthusiasm for the next winter storm in the forecast.
As with the generations before me and those deeply rooted here, our ability to endure the harsh cold, blustery winds and snow squalls is a source of pride. We tell friends in the Carolinas, recently covered under a blanket of snow, that it’s “cute” that they get to “try winter” for a few days.
So, while I have my lined gloves, snow shovel and pile of wool sweaters ever at the ready, I was curious to learn more about how our woodland friends might be enduring the season.
Tucking in for the winter
According to New Hampshire Fish and Game: “In New Hampshire we have only three true hibernators. Woodchucks, jumping mice and bats go into (a) deep sleep for 4 to 6 months. (Their) heart rate slows down, breathing rate decreases and body temperature drops. This helps the animal to save energy and eat less or not at all. Instead, it lives on fat in its body.”
Other animals such as chipmunks, racoons, skunks and black bears are dormant and sleep for much of the winter. While their bodies act in a similar way to hibernators, with a slower breathing pattern and lower body temperature, they are more responsive to the fluctuation in weather.
The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife notes that “Bears commonly den under brush piles, in mountain laurel bushes, or under fallen trees or rocks. The snow cover acts as another layer of cold protection. If food is available, bears that are not pregnant may remain active throughout the winter.”
Playing in a snow-covered forest
While I find myself relating far more to the black bear (cozy meal and a nap, please) during these long snowy days, there are some animals who are better adapted for this weather.
A 2017 article with the New England Forestry Foundation highlights animals that neither flee the coming winter (migration) nor hide from it (hibernation/ dormant behavior) among those being the Eastern Moose. They note “In the fall, moose gear up for the lean days ahead by growing a thick winter coat and accumulating as much fat as possible.”
When the snow comes, they must save energy and move efficiently hence a “unique joint construction that allows (moose) to lift their legs straight up out of snowbanks which helps them … in deep snow.”
The New England Forestry Foundation also included the Canada lynx (listed as a threatened species by the US Fish & Wildlife Service) as highly adapted to the season noting them as a “true winter specialist.” The lynx has a “dense winter coat and excellent night vision that serves them well when days grow short, but their feet are what really set the cats apart.
Their snowshoe-like paws have an unusually large surface area relative to the lynx’s weight, and they become even broader when the cat is on the move thanks to easily spread toes.”
Don’t let the chill fool you
If you’ve found yourself checking in with a neighbor about the unusually cold temperatures this season, you would not be alone.
According to NOAA’s National Center for Environmental Education, the average temperature in New Hampshire for December (2025) and January (2026) was 18.9 degrees. Comparative data sets show that we have not had an average temp that cold since 2009, when it was 18.4 for the same period.
While our collective grimacing at the wind chill is warranted, it’s imperative that we don’t lose sight of the longer-range data. NOAA monitoring suggests temperature averages in the state for December and January have steadily increased decade after decade.
A 2024 report from Climate Central found that winter is the fastest warming season in the U.S. — and within that period, the most rapid warming has occurred when (at night) and where (Northern parts of the U.S.) it’s coldest. Their data shows that since 1970 the average temperature has warmed by 4 degrees across the 240 U.S. locations they measure.
It’s been chilly, but what’s the big picture?
While the constant snowy surroundings have our attention, what do the long-term implications mean for our forest friends?
The Climate Central report shows that the national trend toward warmer winters is affecting water supplies (particularly in the West, which has less snow melt), fruit and nut production (as shorter winters disrupt the chill these crops depend on), extending allergy season, reducing access to winter recreation and worsening pest-related illness.
A 2018 study in the Canada Journal of Zoology found a 70% mortality rate in moose calves (9-12 months) over three years (January 2014-2016) in Maine and New Hampshire due to an increase in winter ticks.
Winter ticks are not known to carry and transmit disease; instead they stay on one host for their entire life cycle stealing nutrients when moose are more vulnerable in late winter.
Additionally, a delayed start to winter allows a greater window for ticks to find a host in the fall.
Likewise, with warming temperatures and earlier snow melt, the Canada lynx, which has an advantage in snow pack, is losing out to other predators like bobcats and coyotes.
Grumpy but grateful
In the end, I’m grateful for the seasonal changes we get to experience and for the research performed to analyze these patterns and seek solutions in a fluctuating environment.
While I may still grumble at an icy storm in the forecast, I will choose to delight in the reminder that we are part of a larger ecosystem. So the same winter storm that brings snow days home from school for my children also benefits many of our forested neighbors who have adapted to endure this playground just as we have.