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1. The response of northern tundra plant communities to warming temperatures is of critical concern because permafrost ecosystems play a key role in global carbon (C) storage, and climate‐induced ecological shifts in the plant community will affect the transfer of carbon‐dioxide between biological and atmospheric pools.

2. This study, which focuses on the response of tundra plant growth and phenology to experimental warming, was conducted at the Carbon in Permafrost Experimental Heating Research project, located in the northern foothills of the Alaska Range. We used snow fences coupled with spring snow removal to increase deep‐soil temperatures and thaw depth (winter warming), and open‐top chambers to increase summer air temperatures (summer warming).

3. Winter warming increased wintertime soil temperature (5–40 cm) by 2.3 °C, resulting in a 10% increase in growing season thaw depth …