“The way we experience climate change is through extremes,” said Shel Winkley, a meteorologist at Climate Central. “All of that comes with a price tag.”

Across the region, officials are trying to figure out how to pay that price. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has already spent more than $185 million on snow and ice removal this winter — about $20 million beyond what was spent during the “Snowmageddon” winter of 2015. State officials are weighing whether to seek aid from the Trump administration.

Providence has had to cap spending for the rest of the fiscal year after record-setting snowfall. In Boston, where officials have trimmed the snow removal budget, the city was on track to spend nearly double what it had set aside for winter cleanup — even before the February blizzard hit. Cambridge has spent $6 million, more than 10 times the placeholder amount it budgeted for winter cleanup.

“This is an additional pressure point on an already pressurized budget situation,” said Adam Chapdelaine, executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association. “In some communities, it’s likely going to force some hard decisions.”

In Edgartown, officials want to tap into budget reserves to make up the cost, a step that requires voter approval. If voters don’t support that move, it could mean raising taxes, said James Hagerty, the town administrator.

Local officials said federal funding would help, but they’re not counting on it. Some worried that partisan disparities in which states have received disaster funding under the Trump administration would put Massachusetts at a disadvantage.

“We are hopeful that the state and federal government might step in to assist, but it’s just waiting at this point,” said Gregory Berman, Chatham’s director of natural resources.

The skyrocketing costs are yet another reminder that winters here don’t feel the same. New England is largely trending toward shorter and milder winters. Massachusetts has lost about 30 days of snow cover each year over the last few decades.

However, experts say the relationship between climate change and total annual snowfall is more complicated. Think of it as two competing forces. On one hand, global warming increases the amount of moisture in the atmosphere; when conditions are cold enough, this added moisture can fuel heavier snowstorms. On the other hand, rising temperatures mean that winter precipitation falls more frequently as rain than snow.

The data reflect this mixed picture. An analysis of historic snowfall totals by Climate Central, a nonprofit that conducts climate change research, found that annual snowfall has actually increased over the past 50 years in Boston and parts of coastal Massachusetts, while inland areas have seen declines.

Looking ahead, researchers project that the most intense storms may become even heavier, producing more snow than blizzards past. This shift may already be underway. In the past 40 years, Boston has recorded 10 snowstorms that produced at least 20 inches of snow. In the eight decades prior to that, there were just three.

These massive storms can trigger extra expenses, as municipalities have to pay for equipment rentals, contractors, and overtime for cleanup around the clock.

Julie Wormser, chief climate officer in Cambridge, said that total snowfall data surprised her.

“Based on how quickly the ocean is heating up off New England, my bet is that the next 50 years of data will reverse that snowfall trend,” she said.

Cities and towns in Western Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and the North Shore were hit especially hard. This winter, they received more than two feet of snow above their average.

On Cape Cod, Sandwich officials overspent their snow budget by $250,000, driven largely by the February blizzard. Town Manager George “Bud” Dunham said a day of minor plowing and treating roads can cost about $10,000, but major storms push that figure past $50,000. The town is still cleaning up downed brush and tree limbs.

If not for the storm, Dunham said, the town might have invested in new snow equipment or set aside funds for retired employees’ health insurance costs.

Mattapoisett, a coastal community on Buzzards Bay, also blew through its budget, spending nearly triple what officials had set aside. Still, Michael Lorenco, the administrator, said the town should be able to absorb the hit within its $37 million budget without raising taxes.

“I’m not a scientist, but towns near the coast seem to be getting more snow than they normally would in the past,” Lorenco said.

That doesn’t change the city’s responsibilities.

“Climate change or not,” he added, “we have to clean up the roads.”

Ken Mahan of the Globe staff contributed reporting.

Kate Selig can be reached at kate.selig@globe.com. Follow her on X @kate_selig.