Blizzard warning of up to 10 feet of snow in Northern California’s Sierra, travel ‘dangerous to impossible’
PBS NewsHourMAR 2024
Powerful Blizzard Hits California and Nevada
Image copyright: Mario Tama/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Climate change is likely making blizzards more frequent and more intense. As greenhouse gases cause global temperatures to rise, a warming atmosphere holds more moisture, increasing the severity of winter storms. Addressing climate change is an important step to preventing an increase in disruptive weather events like this one.
Narrative B
While there are some links between severe weather events and climate change, not every storm is caused by climate change. Weather events like blizzards existed long before the heavy industrialization we associate with global warming. Blaming disruptive weather on climate change detracts from some human responsibility to create safe and reliable infrastructure and emergency services plans.