iOS app Android app More  Brenda Ekwurzel, Ph.D.  Brenda
Ekwurzel, Ph.D.  Posted: December 21, 2010 10:24 AM  Dear
Brenda,     Cold in Winter  * * *  Dear Cold in Winter,    When
you see the first snowfall of the season, a few details about
climate projections might help you explain what's happening
outside. I wasn't at all surprised by this past year's drenching
rains and devastating blizzards in parts of the United States.
In areas that typically get rain and snow, we've seen an
increase in the intensity of the storms. It may seem
counterintuitive, but we have strong evidence that heavier snows
are actually one of many links scientists have uncovered between
climate change and extreme weather. Rising ocean-surface
temperatures have already raised the temperature and moisture
content of the air passing over the United States. The heaviest
precipitation events in the Northeast are typically more severe
now compared with 50 years ago. And the Great Lakes region has
had more lake-effect snow; that's because the