Don’t Be Fooled, Snow Is Becoming a Thing of the Past
Storms will keep happening, but the long-term trend is warmer winters with less snowfall, which will bring severe consequences such as water shortages and lost economic activity.
A lot less frequent.
Photographer: Angus Mordant/Bloomberg
If you’re like me and look forward to snow about as much as you look forward to outpatient surgery, then recent winters have been almost blissful in the US. Some of us on the East Coast haven’t seen any serious snowfall in nearly two years.
This is, contrary to my personal feelings, not good. Yes, warmer winters and fewer snowstorms mean fewer deaths from cold and less need to burn fossil fuels to heat homes. But robust winter weather provides many benefits for humanity, upsides that are disappearing as the climate changes and the planet warms.