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Snow and ice are a way of life here. See how a lost winter upended that. Wisconsin’s Northwoods are normally a playground of snow and ice right now. But life here has become unrecognizable.

wapo.st Snow and ice are a way of life here. See how a lost winter upended that.

This part of northern Wisconsin is normally a winter playground for people from across the region, if not the country.

It is the second straight winter of extreme Wisconsin weather, but at the other end of the spectrum. A year ago, parts of the Northwoods were buried under more than 100 inches of snow, over twice their average snowfall.

Those sorts of swings are to be expected as the climate warms, Vavrus said. As temperatures warm, on average, precipitation is becoming more intense because warmer air holds greater moisture.

“We have to adapt not only in a change in the average, but a change in the variability,” Vavrus said. “We have to be prepared for everything.”

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  • So much beautiful snow photography (stock footage etc) comes from Wisconsin. It's well known for snow and snow research. Sad to see the landscape changing over there