How Climate Change May Produce More

Snowstorms

Do warmer temperatures mean the end of snow days? Maybe not. Rising temperatures may actually cause snowstorms to drop more snow, says David Robinson. He is a professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey. He studies climate change. Climate change is the significant change in Earth's climate over a long period of time. It can happen naturally or in response to human activities, such as burning gas and coal. Burning these fuels releases carbon dioxide and other pollutants. They stay in the atmosphere, which is a blanket of gases that surrounds Earth. Gases like carbon dioxide trap heat in the atmosphere. This leads to warmer global temperatures over time. But how could warmer temperatures cause more snow? Snowstorms are complex. To get snow, you need moisture and freezing temperatures, says Robinson. This is 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) or less. Without moisture in the air, there is no precipitation (rain or snow). Robinson says there are signs that snowstorms are becoming stronger. This is because of the connection between moisture and precipitation. "The warmer the air becomes, the more moisture it holds," says Robinson. So as long as it's cold enough to snow, you can actually get more snow thanks to the warmer air temperatures.

Warmer Temperatures, Stronger Storms

The National Weather Service (NWS) is a government agency. It tracks weather events throughout the country. It also collects data, or information, about the climate. Robinson used this data to study snowstorms in Washington, D.C. Of the 10 biggest snowfalls in D.C., five happened in the past 25 years, according to the NWS. During that same period, average winter temperatures in D.C. increased. In 1996, the average winter temperature was 1.8 degrees Celsius (35.3 degrees Fahrenheit). In 2020, it was 6 degrees Celsius (42.8 degrees Fahrenheit). This data seems to support Robinson's ideas. Warmer temperatures may lead to stronger storms. This could be true for other regions within the United States, not just the Washington, D.C. area. It is hard to make statements about the relationship between higher temperatures and snow. Snowstorms do not happen very often. So, it's hard to tell if there's any change in how often they happen. It's also hard to tell how strong they are. What scientists need is more data. Some of it could come from you. Robinson and his team use weather information collected by volunteers. They use the information to make maps and tables about weather patterns. The volunteers are part of a program. It is the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network. The program is in every state. "We've even got kids in elementary school," says Robinson. With their parents, these kids record daily weather. Then they go online and enter their observations. This helps scientists collect as much data as possible.

Snow Becomes Rain

One day, winter might not have any days below the freezing temperature. This is 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit). Once temperatures stay above freezing, snowstorms become rain. Until then, we might continue to see strong storms. According to Robinson, that time could come sooner than we think. He says, "When we look back, years from now, we may see that this was the breaking point."