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.”