Climate Impacts Factsheet - Snow
CONNECT THE DOTS
Paradoxically, hotter temperatures can bring even harsher winter storms.* *but shorter, milder winters overall
Global warming has increased the amount of moisture in the atmosphere—since warm air holds more water than cold, the atmosphere is on average 4% wetter than during the 1970s.1 This has increased deluge and flood—and when the temperature dips below freezing, deluge and flood come as blizzard and drift. Plus, the shrinking of Arctic sea ice is bringing colder, snowier winters to the UK and other areas of Europe, North America and China. Recent scientific research on the impact of the shrinking Arctic ice sheet has shown that as less of the ocean is covered in ice, the strength of the northern jet stream that usually brings milder, wetter winter weather to Europe, is reduced.2
EXAMPLES: Exceptionally cold and snowy conditions hit
In the winter of 2009–2010, the mid-Atlantic
much of the Eastern U.S. in the winter of
region of the U.S. had its snowiest winter on
2010–2011. During these two extreme winters,
record, as one monster storm after another
New York City recorded three of its top-ten
buried Washington D.C. and other cities,
snowstorms since 1869, and Philadelphia
shutting down travel, school, and work.
recorded four of its top-ten snowstorms since
Meteorologists calculated that, historically,
1884.5
such storminess should only happen every
In early 2012, unusual cold snaps killed over 300 people in Europe,6 and 400 people in the
625 years, but studies indicate that in fact climate change is shifting those odds.4
Andes.7
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/0008xl84w0743102/fulltext.html#CR27 2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17143269 3. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/warming-arctic-playing-critical-role-in-causing-cold-snowy-winters-study-sa/ 4. http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=1426 5. http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=1735 6. http://www.climatecentral.org/blogs/whats-causing-the-deadly-cold-in-europe/ 7. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=andes-extreme-cold-extracts-bitter-toll
Paradoxically, hotter temperatures can bring even harsher winter storms.* *but shorter, milder winters overall
Global warming has increased the amount of moisture in the atmosphere—since warm air holds more water than cold, the atmosphere is on average 4% wetter than during the 1970s.1 This has increased deluge and flood—and when the temperature dips below freezing, deluge and flood come as blizzard and drift. Plus, the shrinking of Arctic sea ice is bringing colder, snowier winters to the UK and other areas of Europe, North America and China. Recent scientific research on the impact of the shrinking Arctic ice sheet has shown that as less of the ocean is covered in ice, the strength of the northern jet stream that usually brings milder, wetter winter weather to Europe, is reduced.2
EXAMPLES: Exceptionally cold and snowy conditions hit
In the winter of 2009–2010, the mid-Atlantic
much of the Eastern U.S. in the winter of
region of the U.S. had its snowiest winter on
2010–2011. During these two extreme winters,
record, as one monster storm after another
New York City recorded three of its top-ten
buried Washington D.C. and other cities,
snowstorms since 1869, and Philadelphia
shutting down travel, school, and work.
recorded four of its top-ten snowstorms since
Meteorologists calculated that, historically,
1884.5
such storminess should only happen every
In early 2012, unusual cold snaps killed over 300 people in Europe,6 and 400 people in the
625 years, but studies indicate that in fact climate change is shifting those odds.4
Andes.7
1. http://www.springerlink.com/content/0008xl84w0743102/fulltext.html#CR27 2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17143269 3. http://www.climatecentral.org/news/warming-arctic-playing-critical-role-in-causing-cold-snowy-winters-study-sa/ 4. http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=1426 5. http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=1735 6. http://www.climatecentral.org/blogs/whats-causing-the-deadly-cold-in-europe/ 7. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=andes-extreme-cold-extracts-bitter-toll
