Why is it so cold outside when the climate is getting warmer? »Yale Climate Connection

Transcript:

Winter storms bring cold winds, cold temperatures and heavy snow – even to parts of the United States, it’s rare to see such extreme winter weather.

These huge winter storms prompted some to ask: What happened to global warming?

But even with warm climates, cold and snowy days still happen.

Over the past few decades, average winter temperatures have been rising throughout the United States, with fewer colder dates in many places. But the weather varies every day at any given location, so you can still expect extreme cold sometimes.

Although it may sound counterintuitive, global warming can even cause unusually cold and snowy weather.

Higher temperatures can weaken the polar jet, which is a strong wind belt that circles the earth below the Arctic.

Weaker jets can move unstablely, pushing cold air down from the Arctic toward the continental United States, resulting in extremely cold conditions.

Higher temperatures also evaporate more water into the atmosphere. When it gets cold, all the atmospheric moisture falls like heavy snow.

So don't get rid of heavy coats and snow boots. Even in a warm world, you will still experience some cold, cold weather.

Report Credit: Ethan Freedman/Chavobart Digital Media