The Effects of Climate Change on Wind Driven Heavy-Snowfall in the United States and Canada is a major concern for residents and they should be. We know that sea ice is melting fast, glaciers are shrinking, and that the polar vortex is becoming more severe. All this impacts our weather. We already know that global warming will increase sea levels and the melting of ice masses that hold back the water is also accelerating. We know that precipitation patterns will change. So, all these changes in weather are directly related to climate change.
Global warming makes the air conditioner (jet stream) go faster and causes the warm air to come into contact with cooler water, creating a moisture laden clouds. As the cloud condensates, it begins to form ice that forms along the side of the clouds. A warm front will pass over the area and warm the snowfall to the surface layer. This will cause a further thaw of the snow and a continued cycle of cloud-to-snow progression until the thaw breaks up into rain and the snowfall melts to the ground.
In the United States, there are concerns about the effects of global warming on snowfalls. There are areas of high mountain and cold desert snow, and there is concern about the meltwater runoff into lakes and streams. The melting of snow and the increased water runoff into streams and rivers may aggravate or even cause flooding. It is also important to remember that melting snow, while it can provide water for irrigation, could also increase pollution due to toxic dumping. There is an increased risk of disease if there is an increased risk of bacterial contamination.
How will we know the effects of global warming on wind driven heavy-icefall events? We can observe snow melt over the mountain ranges in the north. We can also observe changes in temperature and precipitation over the mountains in the south. Satellite images show a trend where the snow is starting to melt earlier in the winter and that the melting is accelerating. We cannot directly monitor changing temperatures and precipitation rates at the surface of the earth, but observations at higher altitudes are easier. Changes have been observed in the air masses above the Arctic Ocean for at least the last decade.
The last decade has also seen the start of a rapid change in wind patterns across the Arctic Ocean. There is evidence of increasing blocking by cold air, which causes the water to thicken and become more stagnant. This has led to more ice building up. This blocking is associated with global warming. Blocking has also been observed in the Arctic Ocean around Greenland.
It is believed that these observations are linked to the changing global temperatures due to global warming. Global warming caused by a massive release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. As this happens, the earth’s temperature becomes more unpredictable. The observed changes in the atmosphere thus appear to be linked to climate change. Perhaps we need to take global warming more seriously and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to keep global warming from being as devastating as it is.