Contrasting Trends in Cold‐Season Daily Soil Temperature With Climate Warming in Snow‐Affected Settings

Abstract Soil temperature is inextricably linked with hydrological and biogeochemical processes. This study analyzes the long‐term minimum soil temperature (TSMIN) trends at 526 stations located in snow‐affected regions of CONUS. Long short‐term memory (LSTM) are implemented to extend TSMIN beyond the observational period, producing long‐term (1981–2020) continuous records for robust analysis. Trends show annual TSMIN is rising at nearly all stations, however, 60% and 29% of sites show winter and spring declines, respectively, despite air temperature increasing at 98.7% and 72% of them. Explanatory analysis links these seasonal contrasts to mean air and soil temperature, and trends of snow‐free days and snowpack depth. Findings show seasonal soil temperature trends can diverge from air temperature trends, especially in winter and spring. They also underscore the value of LSTM‐extended data sets for revealing soil temperature responses with implications for freeze–thaw dynamics, infiltration, and ecosystem function under changing snowpack.