Dear Friends,
You’ve got questions, and we have answers. No question is too simple or complex for our panel of science advisors who stand ready to field your questions about climate change.
Lauren Casey, a meteorologist with Climate Central, joins us to answer a question about ice storms. Casey specializes in communicating the connections between climate change, extreme weather and real-world impacts.
Read other Q&A here, and don’t be shy about asking your questions here.
Warmly,
The C-Change Conversations Team
Will there be more ice storms with climate change? It seems like there have been more here in Virginia.
Climate change affects ice storms in several ways and the relationship is complex. Ice storms occur when liquid rain falls and freezes on contact with ground-level surfaces that are at or below freezing temperatures. Ice storms can wreak havoc on the geographic region impacted, severely disrupting daily life and presenting a number of safety concerns, such as hazardous conditions on roads and sidewalks. Additionally, the weight of the ice can cause power lines and utility poles to snap, leading to widespread and prolonged power outages. Fallen branches and trees can further exacerbate the problem by obstructing roads and damaging energy infrastructure.
Climate change can influence the conditions that lead to ice storms in the following ways:
- Warmer winters: As global temperatures rise, some regions experience warmer winters, which can reduce the overall number of ice storms. However, it can also increase the frequency of freezing rain events in areas where temperatures hover near freezing, turning what would have been snow into freezing rain.
- More moisture in the atmosphere: Warmer air is capable of holding more moisture, which can result in heavier precipitation. In conditions conducive to freezing rain, this can yield greater accumulation and thickness of ice at the surface.
- Shifting weather patterns: Climate change alters atmospheric wind patterns, which can allow for intrusions of cold air masses that contribute to ice storm conditions. These cold air outbreaks, in combination with warmer air above, can create the perfect setup for ice storms in regions not traditionally prone to these potentially dangerous weather events.
In short, climate change could lead to fewer, but potentially more intense ice storms in certain regions, and may shift the geographical distribution of where these storms occur.
