LHASA, March 31 -- China's Tibet Autonomous Region experienced another warm winter in 2017 with the average temperature up 2.1 Celsius degrees compared with previous years, according to the local meteorological authority Friday.
From December to February, the average winter temperature in Tibet was 1.8 Celsius degrees below zero, marking the 16th-warm winter since 2001 excepting 2015, the report said.
Tibet meteorological authorities define a warm winter if the year's winter temperature is 0.5 Celsius degrees higher than the average winter temperature of minus 3.9 Celsius degrees during the period from 1981 to 2010.
Meteorologists attribute the higher temperatures in winter to global warming. High altitude and latitude areas are more likely to be affected.
Since 1981, the average winter temperature has increased by 0.62 Celsius degrees every 10 years and precipitation in winter has fallen 1.1 millimeters every 10 years.
Wang Denghai from Lanzhou University said a warm winter is helpful for grassland farming, but it will also lead to the melting of glaciers and permafrost in the region.
