Re:Motorists have been stranded on a major interstate in Vir...
by dotancohen on Wednesday January 05, 2022 @09:19AM
(#29809210)
Then I'll give you the sciencey answer. Global warming was so called not because of higher expected temperatures, but rather because there is more energy in the atmosphere. For scientists, broadly, when talking about a system energy is almost equivalent to temperature.
The excess energy is manifested is more extreme weather - including more extreme cold. This is especially true for the US, as the changes in weather patterns move the Gulfstream further north. This pushes the colder, polar air right onto Canada and then the US. For the past decade there has been a trend when the US has these cold snaps, the polar regions are a few tens of degrees (pick your scale, doesn't matter) hotter than what is generally expected historically for that time of year.
The excess energy is manifested is more extreme weather - including more extreme cold. This is especially true for the US, as the changes in weather patterns move the Gulfstream further north. This pushes the colder, polar air right onto Canada and then the US. For the past decade there has been a trend when the US has these cold snaps, the polar regions are a few tens of degrees (pick your scale, doesn't matter) hotter than what is generally expected historically for that time of year.