WASHINGTON (AP) — Some scientists have pointed to global warming as the culprit for scant snowfall and barren ski slopes in parts of the Midwest and Northeast the past couple of years.
Then, when a blizzard coated the Northeast with more than 2 feet of snow in some places earlier this month, some of the same people again blamed global warming.
How can that be? It seems to be a contradiction.
But the answer can be found in atmospheric physics. Snow experts say a warmer atmosphere can hold, and dump, more moisture. And two soon-to-be-published studies demonstrate how there can be more giant blizzards yet less snow overall each year. Projections are that that's likely to continue with manmade global warming.
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