Bad weather a harbinger of climate change? Not likely

The World

The holiday blizzard of 2010 knocked East Coasters out of their routines this week, but there was a hint of deja vú as the snow fell. Big weather events have been making headlines across the country and around the world for several years, now. Last week, enough snow fell in Minneapolis that the roof of the Metrodome collapsed. Blizzards crippled Western Europe’s airports and rain deluged San Diego. Is this bad weather part of a new normal? Is global warming bearing down on us at a hastening pace?

Richard Seager, Professor at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory says it would be easy to react and say that the blizzard is another indication of global warming… but it’s not.

Are you with The World?

The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.

When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.