In December, temperatures rose to a historic level. According to the National Weather Service, this past December was the warmest on record in Northern New Jersey and across the country. The Climate Prediction Center reports that northern New Jersey will experience a 40% to 50% chance of warmer-than-average temperatures this winter and will have a 33% to 40% chance of above-average precipitation. This helps to explain the unusual amount of flash floods and severe rainstorms because, with higher temperatures, the rain cannot turn into snow. This still leaves many questions unanswered. Why are we experiencing more intense storms? Or why is it too warm for snow in the winter, but cold enough for snow when springtime?
Mrs. Marateo-Gonzalez, a teacher in the science department and advisor of the Indian Hills Environmental Club, says that climate change has had a significant impact on this winter’s weather. She clarifies that climate change differs from global warming: “Global warming is only one aspect of climate change. Climate change is looking at the long-term shifts in the environmental temperature and climate patterns while global warming deals specifically with the long-term increase in temperature.” Mrs. Marateo-Gonzalez adds that over the last eleven years, “about half of the country shifted to the next warmer half zone. That shift to the next warmer half zone means those areas warmed somewhere in the range of 0-5 degrees Fahrenheit; however, some locations experienced warming in the range of 0-5 degrees Fahrenheit without moving to another half zone.” Simply put, climate change alters when weather naturally takes place by shifting a climate from its native location to another location that is not typical for the region.
Mr. Cornetto, who specializes in physics and is a teacher in the science department, commented on why we are experiencing harsher storms and more precipitation. He says that because warmer air can carry more moisture, the amount of precipitation in a single rainstorm increases. This also impacts the frequency of storms for the same reason, since more water can be held in the sky at once.
It doesn’t take an expert to notice how warm this winter has been. Students are noticing the change too. One student in particular, junior Skylar Brown says, “I never paid much attention to the winter weather but […] last year, it was far different. The last time it was truly ‘normal’ was years ago.” In regard to the rain, Brown adds, “There’s definitely a change with the extent of rain due to global warming that I’ve noticed. [If] global warming did not exist, then there would be more snow than rain.”
Many are left wondering how climate change might impact the future. Brown said that, “In the future, [global warming] could mean truly detrimental things that I’m frankly afraid to think about, but they need to be acknowledged nonetheless.” Mrs. Marateo-Gonzalez confirmed Brown’s statement by explaining, “since there has been a steady increase in temperature of 0.16°F with rates increasing after 1980, this trend does not seem to predict a decrease in temperature next year.” Mr. Cornetto made similar comments, saying that colder winters are not likely, since the trend has been an increase in warm winters. He said that while steps are being taken, they are only enough to slow the rate at which climate change is already progressing. He compared it to driving a speeding car into a brick wall: letting off the gas will slow the speed, but in the end, you’re still going to crash.
