In early 2025, the world experienced a series of extreme weather events, with scientists reporting 2024 as the hottest year on record, attributing significant influence to human-caused climate change. While not all unusual weather can be directly linked to climate change, advancements in research have made it possible to understand its effects. Climate is defined by long-term patterns while weather reflects short-term conditions, and rising global temperatures are increasingly affecting both extremes and normal day-to-day weather.
The year 2025 commenced with a series of extreme weather phenomena, including 100-mph winds in Southern California that fueled catastrophic wildfires, and significant winter storms impacting the Mid-Atlantic and Southern United States. Amid these conditions, researchers announced that 2024 was the hottest year recorded in human history, a clear indication of the influence of anthropogenic climate change.
Traditionally, climate scientists hesitated to link specific weather events directly to climate change. However, advancements in research methodologies have enabled specialists to better assess the correlation between human-induced climate change and various extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, heatwaves, and wildfires.
While not every unusual weather pattern can be attributed to climate change, Justin Mankin, a climate scientist at Dartmouth College, notes that it is increasingly evident that rising global temperatures are having discernible effects on both extreme and typical weather occurrences. “The trends in climate are shaping new weather possibilities that were maybe unprecedented,” states Mankin.
To clarify the distinction between climate and weather, Danielle Touma, a climate scientist at the University of Texas at Austin, offers an analogy: “The climate is basically the clothes you have in your closet,” referring to long-term averages of weather patterns, while daily weather choices are analogous to selecting an outfit. Typically, scientists define climate as the average weather conditions over a 30-year span, indicating that unusual weather indeed contributes to climate but does not define it.
The planet’s average temperature has increased by approximately 1.3 degrees Celsius since the mid-19th century due to fossil fuel combustion. Deepti Singh, a climate scientist at Washington State University, explains that while this gradual warming may not instantly alter daily weather, it likely influences daily conditions in subtle yet significant ways. “Everything we’re experiencing, it is occurring in a different environment,” Singh emphasizes, suggesting that our current weather is inextricably linked to climate change.
Evidence illustrates fewer freezing days in regions such as Michigan and Ohio, with these states experiencing over a week less of freezing temperatures than would have been the case absent climate change. Additionally, the frequency of heatwaves has more than tripled in the United States since the 1960s, reshaping weather patterns and leading to unprecedented atmospheric conditions, as evidenced by the fatal heatwave in the Pacific Northwest in 2021.
In recent years, scientists have refined methodologies termed “detection” and “attribution” to evaluate the links between climate change and weather events. Utilizing climate models, researchers compare scenarios with and without human-induced emissions to ascertain the extent of climate change’s influence on specific weather phenomena. For instance, the data indicated that Hurricane Helene’s rainfall was 10% more intense due to climate change and 40% more likely to occur.
Mankin likens this method to clinical trials in medicine, comparing outcomes of groups exposed to the so-called “drug” of fossil fuel emissions versus those that were not. This enables researchers to identify the degree to which climate change alters the frequency and intensity of weather events, thereby enhancing our understanding of climate’s pervasive influence.
The article discusses the interplay between weather events and climate change, emphasizing that while not all strange weather patterns can be linked to climate changes, there are measurable impacts of global warming on extreme weather events. It highlights recent advancements in climate science that allow for clearer connections to be made between human-induced climate change and various weather phenomena. The importance of understanding the distinction between climate and weather is also illustrated through expert opinions and analogies.
In conclusion, the complexities of weather patterns and their relationship with climate change are becoming increasingly apparent. As climate scientists develop more sophisticated tools to analyze these relationships, it is clear that human-induced climate change is playing a significant role in shaping extreme weather. The research underscores the necessity for ongoing study in this domain and a broader recognition of the impact of climate change on our daily lives.
Original Source: www.knba.org
