Shouldn't Global Warming Mean LESS Snow?
The Northeastern US was slammed by winter storm Gail this week, causing at least 5 deaths and a whole big mess of snow.
It’s hard to believe there’s a climate crisis going on when there’s snow everywhere!
Surprisingly, Global Climate Change and Global Warming will probably mean more big snowstorms for us Northeasterners. Here are a few reasons why.
It’s Climate Change, not Weather Change. Weather refers to the short-term conditions of the atmosphere. On the other hand, climate is the long-term average weather in a certain area. The temperature can be very, very cold in a day or a week, while the average temperature of the area is slowly increasing from year to year.
Warmer temperatures mean more melting of the ice caps, which means more water in the oceans. More water in the oceans provides more fuel for snowstorms. It also changes water current and temperature patterns, which can also create bigger storms, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Warmer temperatures mean the air can hold more moisture, which means more moisture in the atmosphere. Moisture in the atmosphere is needed to form snow, so more water means more snow. According to Jonathan E. Martin, a professor in the department of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, warmer and moister air can actually add fuel to snowstorms!
As the climate crisis continues, we will see more and bigger snowstorms. [citation]
What does this mean for us?
If you like snow days, you’re in luck! Expect to see more frequent snowstorms in the next few decades, especially if we don’t start slowing down Climate Change.
If, however, you are worried about the other effects of Climate Change, like food scarcities and mass extinctions, you might not be so happy.
For me, I’ll enjoy the snow today and continue the fight against Climate Change tomorrow.
Want to learn more? Try these sources.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/how-climate-change-may-lead-to-bigger-blizzards/
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/news/climate-change-and-extreme-snow-us
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/love-snow-heres-how-its-changing/