Climate changes, that’s a fact. Which way it will go, when, how much, and for how long are all up for conjecture. What is known for sure is that we are importing too much fuel from people who don’t like us. We need to become more independent, and not use up our own fuel resources leaving nothing for our grandchildren and their grandchildren.
So far as winter is concerned, in the mid Atlantic states, last winter was a doozie. I have noticed that when we have one kind of winter, Europe has the opposite. So my guess is this winter will be less difficult in my area. That said, while the snow last winter was unbelievable, it was not all that cold compared with earlier decades I have experienced.
We too had an open winter (like Europe I guess?), but it was also very cold. Here it feels colder that perhaps it would because of the Great Lakes, must be the humidity (dampness) that makes the cold seep into the bones. :’) When it warms up just a bit, we get snow. If it snows when the temps are bitter, the “flakes” are hard little pellets and accumulation is small.