From Vox (7/1/25)…
(Okay, this piece refers to the current cold snap in North America, not here (obvs.), but it does explain some of the complexities of a warming climate.)
The confounding science of the latest cold snap, explained
Bitter cold has lashed its icy fingers across the United States, bringing a frigid start to the New Year. Dubbed Winter Storm Blair, the tempest has triggered winter weather alerts for more than 60 million people this week in a swath from Illinois to New Jersey.
The ongoing storm has already dropped up to a foot of snow in some cities and killed at least six people. As of Monday morning, nearly 300,000 utility customers had lost power across states including Virginia, Kentucky, and Illinois. The storm is forecasted to deliver more snow through Tuesday and frosty weather well into next week. Freezing temperatures are poised to reach as far south as Texas and Florida and could deliver the first snow to Disney World in almost 50 years.
Winter Storm Blair comes as a bookend to one of the hottest years on record, and while it’s freezing North America, its origins actually lie in the Arctic.
There’s evidence that — because of climate change — cold Arctic air may be more likely to break containment in the northernmost reaches of the planet and escape southward, bringing frigid temperatures to lower latitudes like the continental United States.
It may seem counterintuitive, but the fact that global average temperatures are rising does not preclude bouts of cold, and for some Arctic-driven storms, it could exacerbate them. Scientists are examining the mechanisms connecting humanity’s insatiable appetite for fossil fuels, the far north, and storms like Blair. They’re revealing a complicated picture that shows some of the most profound consequences of climate change occur in the chilliest parts of the planet and during the coolest times of year.