Climate change will make snowfall worse in some areas of the United States.

Question

"Experts predict climate change could actually make snow worse in some areas of the U.S. Meanwhile, nearly two-thirds of the U.S. is seeing less snowfall than in the 1970s."

Comments

I like how for this claim you used a direct quote from the video played by CBS News. I started off this Fact Check by checking the credibility of your source. According to Media Bias Fact Check, CBS News is a credible source yet leaning slightly towards the left. I found a source asking the same question, ‘will climate change will make snowfall worse in some areas of the United States.’ From Climate Central, a high credibility science source, I discovered this quote “Climate change can affect the timing, location, and amount of snowfall, as well as the dynamics of snowmelt” After reading this article I can agree that this claim is true, climate change will cause heavier snow fall in certain areas of the United States.

Answer 1

Extreme snowstorms are set to continue to worsen in certain areas of the United States this year. 

The Nation Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s website explains: 

“Years with heavy seasonal snow and extreme snowstorms continue to occur with great frequency as the climate has changed. The frequency of extreme snowstorms in the eastern two-thirds of the contiguous United States has increased over the past century. Approximately twice as many extreme U.S. snowstorms occurred in the latter half of the 20th century than the first.” From “Climate Change and Extreme Snow in the U.S./The Science Behind Snowmaggedon”. (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/climate-change-and-extreme-snow-us )

Defining the scope this claim attempts to cover is crucial. Although there are large amounts of evidence to support the fact that climate change has increased "extreme snowstorms” in some areas of the United States, that does not necessarily equate to general “snowfall”. 

The NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/winter/types/) explains: “A winter storm is a combination of heavy snow, blowing snow and/or dangerous wind chills. A winter storm is life-threatening… An ice storm is a storm which results in the accumulation of at least .25” of ice on exposed surfaces. They create hazardous driving and walking conditions. Tree branches and powerlines can easily snap under the weight of the ice.” 

Types of snow vary- flurries, showers, squalls and sleet do not inherently make a winter storm. 

(https://www.edf.org/warming-world-why-so-much-snow)- “In areas that do get precipitation, they get more of it: more rain (and flooding) when temps are above freezing, and when temperatures (less frequently) drop below freezing, there’s a greater chance of snowstorms that break records. So while the average amount of snow is declining in many areas of the U.S., the amount of snow that falls during intense snowstorms could increase in certain locations.”

So there is evidence of increased winter storms in some part of the United States, but not necessarily powder or “snowfall” as the claim suggests. Therefore, it is misleading for purpose of lacking specificity. 

https://theconversation.com/why-a-warming-climate-can-bring-bigger-snowstorms-176201 

https://www.climatesignals.org/climate-signals/winter-storm-risk-increase “Winter Storm Risk Increase”

Comments

This is really well done!

Answer 2

This claim is true. Climate change, or global warming, doesn't just increase temperature; it also causes extreme weather events that can be unusual for the area or time of year. Since the 1970s average temperature during the winter has increased throughout the US by 4 degrees Fahrenheit. Because the globe is heating up, that means more evaporation, which is more moisture in the air, and during the winter, that means more snow. This is also called an atmospheric river, which can be more common in the Pacific Northwest. Another factor that is causing stronger snowstorms is the jet stream, a narrow band of hot and cold air currents that flow west to east. In recent years, it has been weakening, causing it to have a longer longitude course across North America and cold air reaching the southeast.

Snowfall has decreased in some area, also due to climate change. The heating of the Earth has caused seasons to be shorter/longer than normal and later/earlier than usual. But this statement continues to be true since historic blizzards are hitting the US every year. For example, the Gulf Coast blizzard in January of this year, with New Orleans, Louisiana getting 8 inches of snowfall and Pensacola, Florida getting 10 inches. These unusual weather events shows how climate change can create both warmer winters and stronger snowstorms at the same time.

How climate change could make snowfall worse in parts of the U.S. - CBS News

In a warming world, why is there still so much snow? - EDF

Climate Change Indicators: Snowfall - EPA

Answer 3

The claim is true. While overall snow seasons are shortening, a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture about 4% more per 1F of warming leading to more intense individual snowstorms in regions where temperatures remain below freezing. Additionally, reduced ice cover on the Great Lakes has increased "lake-effect" snow in the upper Midwest and Northeast.

1. NOAA: Climate Change and Extreme Snow in the U.S. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/climate-change-and-extreme-snow-us

Answer 4

After conducting some research on this claim I have found it to be true. Climate change can impact snowfall in some areas. Warmer weather can cause storms to dump rain rather than snow. But cases where temperatures rise but stay below freezing could see heavier snow storms. According to the Environmental Defense Funds, geography can affect where snow falls more. For example, the Great Lakes in Minnesota, are known for their massive snow storms. Lake effect snow occurs when cold air moves over relatively warm, unfrozen waters. Which leads to intense bands of precipitation where snowfall is measured in inches per hour. However, if the weather gets warm enough, precipitation will come down as rain and not snow. Climate change can also affect plants. When there is warmer weather, it may cause plants to bloom earlier than expected, which impacts agriculture. After conducting scholarly research on this claim, I can attest that it is to be true.

Source: https://www.edf.org/warming-world-why-so-much-snow

Answer 5

Think of this as your investigation log. Answer each question to explain what you discovered and how you got there.

1. Write a brief overall summary of your findings.

after doing some research on this claim I have found that the claim that climate change could intensify snowfall in some areas even as overall snowfall decreases in large parts of the U.S.
2. What primary sources did you find (e.g., transcripts, videos of politician speeches, tweets from public figures, scientific studies)? For each source, write at least one or two sentences explaining what you learned. Include all links.

In adition to the CBS news article provided I found a primary source from the NOAA that tracks the snow pack and also the rain fall and it shows a decrease in past years. 

https://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/nsa/ 
4. What potential biases or interests might each of your sources have?

a potental bias could be that the sources are appealing to viewers and people who are interested in science and belive in global warming in the first place 
5. What evidence supports the claim you are fact-checking?

the decrease in annual snow pack/ snow fall 
6. What evidence undermines the claim you are fact-checking?

the claim doesnt really specify exactly what parts of the U.S will be impacted so the claim is a bit vauge 
7. What happened when you tried contacting the person or group who made the original claim? (Always try to contact them—it’s okay if you don’t get a reply. For example, if the claim is that the president said something, try reaching out to the administration. If it was a Bluesky user, message that user on Bluesky.)

 no response 

Answer 6

This claim does bring up a good point, how the idea of climate change that many are told is that the earth is warming up, which should cause warmer winters and hotter summers. The Environmental Defense Fund agreed that "From 1970 to 2025, average winter temperatures rose in 98% of cities studied, by an average of 3.9 degrees Fahrenheit." However, shortly after this the same article explained that while increasing temperatures were a real issue, in areas where even an increased temperature still remains below freezing, there can be an increase in snowstorm activity. It explains that this is because an increasing atmospheric temperature means more evapoation, which creates more moisture in the air, and therefore more snow too. Climate change and global warming fdo go hand in hand, but we also have to consider the varying baseline climates around the planet and how they may all be effected differently.

https://www.edf.org/warming-world-why-so-much-snow