Global Warming Blamed for Heavy Snowstorms, Record Floods

Melting polar ice, evaporating oceans and rising temperatures influence global weather patterns in volatile ways. Climate scientists warn that even as winters gradually shrink in length, Earth’s inhabitants can expect heavier rainstorms, snowfalls and flooding. Climate-change skeptics argue that heavy snows are evidence against global warming, but climate researchers point out that average temperatures are warmer, adding to moisture building in the air with more rain and snow. The climate scientists are cautious with their theories, yet. Mark Serreze, director of the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado, points out that the only factor explaining extreme weather patterns is rising greenhouse gas levels changing atmospheric circulation patterns, reports the Environmental News Services. Carbon-based fuels that release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere increasingly add to economic, security and social costs. – YaleGlobal