Why we still have brutal cold snaps even as the planet warms to record levels
As unprecedented heat makes way for cold, it can provide fuel for climate-change deniers who point to freezing temperatures as evidence that global warming is overstated.
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Some scientists say that climate change may even be playing a role in these icy blasts, as warming in the Arctic increases the likelihood that frigid, polar air can sweep southwards.
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Some scientists believe polar vortex disruptions and changes to the jet stream are being driven by warming in the Arctic, which is heating up around four times faster than the rest of the planet.
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As scientists work to unravel complex links between climate change and periods of intense cold, all agree on one thing: the trend is for warmer winters.
Why we still have brutal cold snaps even as the planet warms to record levels
Extreme cold is hitting the United States after a summer of record-breaking heat.
Cold extremes will still occur even as winters warm overall.