How climate change affects different regions of the country differently

1. Article 4: How climate change affects different
regions of the country differently
The U.S. is no stranger to differences among its sometimes bickering states, so perhaps it’s no
surprise that even global warming finds itself with some regional rivalries. A Climate Central
analysis of regional and seasonal temperature differences in the contiguous U.S. since 1970
reveals a country divided along temperature lines, just as it is in so many other ways. Sure, that
includes politics, and whether a certain bubbly drink should be called soda, pop or Coke. While
winter is the fastest-warming season in most states, spring and fall are making strides in this
uncertain race, particularly in the western part of the country. And then there’s the Lone Star
state, which stands alone as the only state where summer is warming the fastest, don’t mess with
Texas.
Across all seasons and most areas of the globe, 1970 marks a key shift to more rapid warming
compared to earlier decades. Some research has linked this to the decline of human aerosol
emissions, fine particles that cool the planet, in the wake of clean air laws passed in the U.S. and
Europe in the 1970s. That has helped in unmasking the warming impact of greenhouse gases,
which have continued to rise at an ever-increasing rate.
In the Northeast, snow cover, or more specifically its dwindling nature, could be playing a large
role. Art Degaetano (Director of the Northeast Regional Climate Center) said that the air is
affected a lot by snow cover. What we’ve seen over recent years is a decline in persistence of
snowpack to our north and west. Because the ground is darker than snow, it absorbs more heat,
and could ultimately be moderating cold weather a bit. Degaetano also said ocean temperatures
from the Gulf of Maine down through New Jersey have seen some of the strongest warming
trends compared to the rest of the world’s oceans. Those warmer oceans could help keep
temperatures more temperate along the coast.
For the Upper Midwest, which also shows strong winter warming, a similar pattern may be to
blame. The rapid rise of Southwest spring warming could also be a symptom of dwindling
snowpack. Gregg Garfin, a climatologist at the University of Arizona, said a jet stream shift has
conspired to dry out winter and spring in the region. That means snowpack dissipates fasters in
spring, which can amplify spring warming.