Written by As winter temperatures drop and storms intensify, questions often arise about global warming. But short-term cold weather does not contradict long-term climate change. Weather varies from day to day and place to place, while climate trends are measured over decades across the globe – and those trends show a clear rise in global temperatures.
Scientists note that some extreme winter conditions may actually be linked to a warming planet. Rapid warming in the Arctic is disrupting the jet stream, allowing cold air to move south and trigger severe winter weather in certain regions.
At the same time, global indicators continue to point upward. Recent years rank among the warmest on record, oceans are steadily heating, glaciers are shrinking, and sea levels are rising. Warmer air can also hold more moisture, leading to heavier snowfall in some areas even as the overall climate warms.
Nature and human systems are already feeling the effects. Ecosystems are shifting, wildlife patterns are changing, and infrastructure built for older climate conditions is under increasing strain from extreme weather.
Cold winters may still occur, but they do not negate global warming. Instead, they highlight a changing climate marked by greater instability and extremes. The cold may be temporary—the warming trend is not.