"Climate Change May Be Fueling Increase In Major Northeast Snowstorms"

"Scientists say the recent surge of intense Northeast winter storms is probably tied to rising ocean temperatures and changes in the Arctic"

"Saturday’s tremendous coastal storm pushed a band of heavy snow into southern New England, burying cities under a snowpack up to two feet deep. These near-record snowfall totals continue an astonishing run of historic storms to impact the Northeast in recent years, probably attributed, in part, to anthropogenic climate change.

“Extreme snowstorms, even in the face of longer term declines in winter snow, are entirely consistent with the effects of global warming,” Justin Mankin, a professor at Dartmouth College who studies climate change and variability, said in a statement. “Storms like this are emblematic of the fact that we need to do a better job of managing their risks now to make us more resilient for the future.”

In Boston, where records extend back to 1936, Saturday’s storm tied the all-time calendar day snowfall record, with 23.6 inches accumulating. In recent decades, such extreme snowfall has been unusually common: 15 of the 30 largest single-day snowfalls have occurred since 2000."

Jacob Feuerstein reports for the Washington Post February 1, 2022.

Source: Washington Post, 02/02/2022