The debate around global warming has been intensifying over the past few decades, but what is the potential impact of this phenomenon on extreme cold weather? A growing body of evidence suggests that climate change may make cold weather conditions worse.
To begin with, scientific analysis indicates that global temperatures are rising due to the increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This is causing the temperature of the atmosphere to heat up, creating more unstable air masses. As the air fluctuates between warmer and colder temperatures, it can form extreme cold weather systems such as polar vortices.
In addition, since the Arctic is warming faster than anywhere else on the planet due to human-caused climate change, it is changing the weather patterns that circulate in the northern hemisphere. This includes shifts in the polar jet stream, which can cause cold Arctic air to plunge southward into regions that would normally be too warm for such air.
Scientists postulate that extreme winter weather is likely to become more frequent and intense due to the rising global temperatures. As the capacity of the atmosphere to store heat increases, extreme cold weather events will become more common and intense. In March 2018, a record-breaking ‘bomb cyclone’ struck the East Coast of the United States, dumping heavy snow and causing widespread power outages. While it is difficult to attribute this event directly to global warming, it is likely that rising temperatures contributed to its severity.
Furthermore, global warming is causing the polar ice caps to melt, resulting in a decrease in ice coverage that has long served as a buffer against extreme cold weather events. As the ice continues to melt, the air masses will become even more unstable, increasing the likelihood of extreme cold weather.
On the other hand, global warming could be responsible for some positive effects on cold winter conditions in certain parts of the world. For example, increased temperatures in the Arctic have been associated with more frequent spells of mild winter air in parts of North America and Europe. This could lead to fewer cold weather-induced illnesses, fewer traffic fatalities, and greater financial savings as people will not have to rely as much on costly fossil fuels for heating.
In summary, while global warming can lead to both constructive and destructive effects when it comes to extreme cold weather events, it is increasingly clear that rising temperatures are making winter weather more frequent and intense. This should serve as a warning that more aggressive measures must be taken to mitigate global warming if we wish to safely weather the winter.
