Question

you live in a city in the northern united states that experiences a winter with much heavier than average snowfalls. you hear people commenting that global warming must not really be happening, since so much snow has fallen. describe two specific problems with this argument.

Answer 1

Hi, there! :)

The argument that heavy snowfalls disprove global warming is a common misconception. However, this argument is flawed for several reasons, including:

1. Confusing weather with climate: A significant problem with this argument is that it conflates weather and climate. Weather refers to the short-term atmospheric conditions in a specific region, while climate refers to long-term patterns of temperature, precipitation, and other meteorological factors over a much larger area. While one winter may experience heavy snowfall, this does not necessarily contradict the overall trend of rising global temperatures that are contributing to climate change.
2. Misunderstanding the science of global warming: Global warming is caused by an increase in greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere. These gases trap heat and contribute to a warming planet, leading to a variety of impacts, including changes in weather patterns. While global warming may lead to more precipitation overall, it does not necessarily mean that every region will experience more snowfall. In fact, warmer temperatures may lead to more precipitation falling as rain instead of snow.

Therefore, heavy snowfall in a single winter in a specific region cannot be used as evidence to disprove global warming. Instead, scientists rely on long-term, global data sets to identify trends in:

• temperature,
• precipitation,
• and other meteorological factors to assess the impacts of climate change.

Hope that helps! Good luck! ^_^