It
is easy to understand why there is still snow on the ground considering this
winter the Adirondacks experienced record-breaking low temperatures. On March 3rd
Saranac Lake and Intervale Lowlands tied for the coldest temperature in the
lower 48 (Folwell). These extreme temperatures came shortly after Senator
Inhofe’s snowball incident in Congress. He claimed that these cold temperatures
experienced throughout the country were proof that climate change is not
occurring and is not a threat. While the timing of these events does work in
Inhofe’s favor, the science behind weather and climate do not validate his
argument. These record low temperatures raise many questions, but the validity
of climate change is not one of them. These extreme temperatures are more
problematic for local infrastructure than for climate believers.
Weather and climate are measured on
different time scales so their data does not always correlate. Weather is dependent on daily changes
in the atmosphere. Weather is what we use to describe this terribly cold
winter, but the weather of one season cannot give us any indication on the
changing climate. Climate is measured across a much larger scale. It is the
average of weather over about 30 years. Therefore we cannot use an unseasonably
cold winter as proof that climate change is not real. In fact in some cases it
can support the science that climate change is happening now. While we can
easily dismiss Inhofe and other denier’s claims with factual science, these
extreme temperatures raise other questions.
Extreme
winter weather can wreak havoc on park infrastructure. Continuous freezing
temperatures increases the risk of frozen pipes and causes the ground to
expand, which can push against water and natural gas pipes causing leaks
(Schaper). Municipalities must work around the clock to provide electricity and
maintain roads. All of these consequences of an extreme winter require time and
money, which further stretch a town’s resources. Another problem that is less
evident is how the extreme cold affects tourism. If the temperatures are
consistently below freezing, like they were in Indian Lake, then tourism
suffers (Folwell). A ski resort in Pennsylvania recorded that they had a 10%
decrease in traffic for January 2014 because of the unseasonably cold
temperatures (Bryne). The focus of these extremely cold winters should not be
on undermining climate change, but on the more important risks associated with
unseasonably cold temperatures.
Works Cited
Bryne, Kevin. "Ski Resorts Welcome Arctic Outbreak for
Snowmaking, Urge Guests to Take Precaution." AccuWeather.com.
AccuWeather, 11 Jan. 2015. Web. 07 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.accuweather.com/en/features/trend/ski-resorts-welcome-cold-conditions/40324270>.
Folwell, Elizabeth. "A Record-Breaking Winter in the
Adirondacks." Adirondack Life. Adirondack Life, 5 Mar. 2015.
Web. 07 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.adirondacklifemag.com/blogs/2015/03/05/record-breaking-winter-adirondacks/>.
Schaper, David. "A Terrible Winter Wreaks Havoc On Roads,
Pipes And City Budgets." NPR. NPR, 13 Mar. 2014. Web. 07 Apr.
2015.
<http://www.npr.org/2014/03/13/289834844/a-terrible-winter-wreaks-havoc-on-roads-pipes-and-city-budgets>.
It’s interesting to consider that global warming (aka global climate change) may be having a cooling impact on the Adirondack region during the winter. Although the world temperatures are increasing (up to 5 degrees in the last 100 years), I wonder what specifically is causing this cold wave in upstate New York. Has this been happening in other colder states/countries? Do we look to snowfall or wind patterns as an influence on this past winter’s temperature drop?
ReplyDeleteThinking on the flip side, I’m curious to see if there has been a warming effect during the summers in the Adirondack Park. If so, what impact can we expect to see from having a climate where the temperatures are at one of two extremes? For one, that would mean a shorter fall that could have economic and environmental impacts equally.
For now, I definitely think that the winter cooling in the Adirondack Park should not be ignored or used as justification against global warming. Monitoring both the summer and the winter and the temperatures associated with both seasons is essential to predicting the future of the region.
Laura, I think the concern you bring up about some of the cooling trends we have seen are very important because they are often (improperly) used to argue against climate change science. I feel like much of this confusion has to do with the use of the term "global warming" when the problem is probably more accurately described as climate change. Though the average global temperature is expected to rise, not all regions will experience the effects of climate change in the same way. While it may get warmer or drier in some regions, other areas may see colder or wetter conditions. We may also see an increase in the rates and magnitudes of extreme weather events. I think using the term climate change instead of global warming, especially when we talk about specific regions, may be helpful in quelling some climate change skepticism and/or misunderstandings.
ReplyDelete