Families and businesses may have saved money on heating costs and snow removal after a mild winter across the northern Plains and Upper Midwest, but the lack of cold weather took a massive toll on the region’s economy. AccuWeather’s Bernie Rayno and Jon Porter discuss the negative economic impact of what has been an abnormally warm winter for the northern Plains region of the United States.
Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa all reported their highest winter temperatures on record. Seasonal workers were reportedly laid off, and losses have been reported at dozens of resorts, outdoor recreation businesses and snow removal companies. To put this event into context, AccuWeather experts estimated the total damage and economic loss from flooding, washouts and mudslides from Hurricane Hilary in California and the Southwest U.S. last February at $9 billion to $11 billion. AccuWeather estimated the damage and economic loss from Hurricane Idalia in August 2023 to be $18 billion to $20 billion. The wildfire in Hawaii last August had an estimated damage and economic loss totaling $14 billion to $16 billion.