Although more snow means sledding, snowball fights, and cancelled classes, there are reasons to be concerned about these harsher-than-usual winter weather conditions. Since the last Brackety-Ack publication, Southwest Virginia has gotten even more snow, and most of the ice from the first snowstorm has yet to melt. Winter storms create hazardous travel conditions, power outages, and, in severe cases, death. Climate change is worsened by human actions that harm the environment, and learning about these worsening conditions is the first step toward making the weather safer.
Experts state that “climate change” is a better term to describe these shifts in weather conditions because “global warming” gives a contradictory impression that winter weather is subsiding. Although temperatures are rising, with an average increase of 3.9°F over the past 55 years, winter storms are becoming more dangerous, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. Global warming refers to a warmer atmosphere caused by human-induced greenhouse gases. These gases increase evaporation, causing heavier snowfall when temperatures drop. Instead of longer and more bearable winters, the winter seasons are becoming shorter, with fewer severely cold days compared to a spread-out, more bearable winter season, according to The Stanford Report. This phenomenon has been observed in Salem in the past few weeks when storms brought dangerous ice and sleet instead of just snow.
Considering the worsening winter conditions on the East Coast, it is important to break down one of its main trackers: the El Niño and La Niña, or the ENSO cycle. The cycle represents the fluctuations in both sea temperatures and winds in the Pacific Ocean. In short, the ENSO cycle influences the forces that “steer” storms. Let’s take the East Coast, for example. The El Niño will bring a snowier winter to the Southeast states, while the La Niña will bring warmer temperatures in the South, but the North will get snowier. Although Virginia was predicted to have La Niña winter conditions for the 2025-2026 season, worsening climate change has made the ENSO cycle unpredictable.
Over the past couple of decades, the previously reliable El Niño and La Niña weather indicators have created “false” warnings or no warnings for severe storms. Because of climate change, the stream that “steers” storms has stalled over the South for long periods, making the winter storms last, as has happened in the past couple of weeks, according to the BBC.
So, if climate change makes winter weather more dangerous and deadly, what can we do to stop it? The sad fact is that some aspects of climate change are irreversible at this point. Sea levels have risen, and oceans have gotten warmer, and it is impossible to reverse these facts, according to NASA. However, if drastic measures are taken, climate change can be stopped from reaching a breaking point of no return.
According to the Climate Clock organization, we have approximately 5 years to decrease carbon emissions as much as possible before the planet reaches “climate catastrophe.” Reversing climate change can start with individual lifestyle changes like installing solar panels in homes, carpooling or biking, eating plant-based foods, reducing waste, and composting. However, systemic institutional changes must happen to keep the earth healthy, and these changes can start with collective action toward government and businesses to change their policies. To learn more ways to help, visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website for more information about environmental sustainability practices.
Madeline Wall
Staff Reporter
