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FarCenter

(19,429 posts) Tue Feb 28, 2012, 01:09 PM Feb 2012

Melting Arctic leads to snowy winters

Georgia Tech has lobbed a small grenade into the climate change debate, with a study suggesting a correlation between melting Arctic pack ice and snowy winters in the Northern Hemisphere.

The study, announced February 27, notes that above-average snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere has been measured each year since 2007 (when Arctic sea ice reached a record low level). During the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 Northern Hemisphere winters, snow cover reached its second and third highest levels on record.

“Our study demonstrates that the decrease in Arctic sea ice area is linked to changes in the winter Northern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation,” said Judith Curry, chair of the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech. “The circulation changes result in more frequent episodes of atmospheric blocking patterns, which lead to increased cold surges and snow over large parts of the northern continents.”

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/27/melting_arctic_ice_falls_as_snow/

6 replies

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Highlight:

Melting Arctic leads to snowy winters (Original Post) FarCenter Feb 2012 OP

I think we knew this all along itsrobert Feb 2012 #1

It was predicted by climate scientists some time ago. tabatha Feb 2012 #2

Yep. All that moisture has to go somewhere. nt eppur_se_muova Feb 2012 #6

Up here in NE MN we have not had a real huge snowstorm since that one on Holloween night some jwirr Feb 2012 #3

Favorable temperatures for snow are in the upper 20's CreekDog Feb 2012 #4

I can't speak for the rest of the Northern Hemisphere, Blue_In_AK Feb 2012 #5

itsrobert

(14,157 posts)

1. I think we knew this all along

Reply to FarCenter (Original post)

Tue Feb 28, 2012, 01:17 PM

Feb 2012

I don't know why they are calling it "a small grenade".

tabatha

(18,795 posts)

2. It was predicted by climate scientists some time ago.

Reply to FarCenter (Original post)

Tue Feb 28, 2012, 01:32 PM

Feb 2012

One article - there are more:

http://news.discovery.com/earth/cold-winter-snow-weather-global-warming-101222.html

eppur_se_muova

(36,317 posts)

6. Yep. All that moisture has to go somewhere. nt

Reply to tabatha (Reply #2)

Tue Feb 28, 2012, 03:42 PM

Feb 2012

jwirr

(39,215 posts)

3. Up here in NE MN we have not had a real huge snowstorm since that one on Holloween night some

Reply to FarCenter (Original post)

Tue Feb 28, 2012, 01:35 PM

Feb 2012

years ago. But it also appears that those big snows have been happening to the east of us most of the time. That may also be part of the change.

CreekDog

(46,192 posts)

4. Favorable temperatures for snow are in the upper 20's

Reply to FarCenter (Original post)

Tue Feb 28, 2012, 01:36 PM

Feb 2012

so for example, if the average temperature increased from the low 20's to the upper 20's, you might get more snow on average than you did before.

but it would still be global warming.

Blue_In_AK

(46,436 posts)

5. I can't speak for the rest of the Northern Hemisphere,

Reply to FarCenter (Original post)

Tue Feb 28, 2012, 01:43 PM

Feb 2012

but Anchorage has had almost exactly twice the normal amount of snow this year -- over 110 inches. I was hoping maybe it would bring back the glaciers. We've been told that our major snow-dumping sites around town probably won't completely melt this summer.

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