CNN —Winter has gone missing across the Midwest and Great Lakes, and time is running out to find it. Dozens of cities are on track for one of the warmest winters on record, making snow and ice rare commodities. A classic El Niño pattern coupled with the effects of a warming climate are to blame for this “non-winter” winter, said Pete Boulay, a climatologist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Missing snowfall is even more pronounced in areas surrounding the Great Lakes, especially those that are typically buried by lake-effect snow. The lackluster ice coverage is part of a larger troubling trend across the Great Lakes.

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Persons: Pete Boulay, we’ve, ” Boulay, “ I’ve, Boulay, ” Melissa Widhalm Organizations: CNN, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Regional Climate Center, Paul International, Nashville, Twin Cities, Purdue University, NOAA, Climate Central, Climate Locations: Midwest, Great Lakes, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Minneapolis, St, Erie , Pennsylvania, Great, Climate Central