What is the difference between weather and climate? In the winter months of 2010 , record snows fell on the East Coast from Washington, D.C., to the Deep South. Can this occurrence be taken as evidence against global warming? Can you suggest one way in which global warming might actually be responsible for what happened?

When we discuss the 'weather,' we're referring to the state of the atmosphere at a specific place and time, which includes various elements such as temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind, and visibility.

Imagine stepping outside your house and feeling the immediate effects of nature—whether it's a sunny day with clear skies, a sudden downpour, or crisp winter chill. These day-to-day experiences all tie into the broader concept of weather. It's dynamic, changing sometimes by the hour or minute, which is why it's so common to discuss the weather—it directly impacts what we wear, how we travel, and our outdoor activities.

For example, a forecast might predict a thunderstorm in the afternoon, but by evening, the skies can clear up, showcasing the transitory nature of weather conditions.

Climate, in contrast, is the big picture of weather—think of it as the overall personality of weather for a particular region over a lengthy period, typically accounted over 30 years or more.

If you were to move to a new city and asked 'What's the climate like there?', you'd expect an answer that describes the general weather patterns you'd encounter over time. It could vary from tropical with lots of rain, to dry and arid, or cold and snowy for most of the year. These conditions don’t fluctuate much from day to day, but rather are consistent and predictable over long stretches, forming the backdrop against which occasional weather events take place.

For instance, if someone says that the Sahara is a hot desert climate, they mean that regardless of daily temperature fluctuations, overall it predominantly has high temperatures and low precipitation.

Global warming is a term that has been ingrained in public discourse, and it's critical to distinguish it correctly—it refers to the gradual increase in Earth's overall average temperature due to the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, are accelerating this warming process, leading to a variety of environmental impacts, including the melting of polar ice, rising sea levels, and shifts in weather patterns. Unlike day-to-day weather changes, global warming is a long-term trend that overlays the many short-term changes in the climate.

While a single cold snap or heatwave doesn't confirm or refute global warming, the trend of increasing global temperatures is clear when we look at comprehensive data over lengthy periods. It's analogous to watching a stock's value grow over decades despite daily market volatility.

Extreme weather events are significant deviations from the average weather patterns, resulting in instances like hurricanes, droughts, floods, and unusual temperature highs or lows.

With global warming influencing the climate, scientists have noted a rise in the frequency and intensity of these extreme events. For example, a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, leading to more intense rainfall and flooding in some regions, while other areas might experience more severe droughts and heatwaves.

The record snowfall in the Deep South in 2010 exemplifies how global warming could potentially lead to such anomalies. Even in a warming climate, disruptions in atmospheric currents may bring unusually cold weather to some regions, causing seemingly paradoxical events like severe snowstorms in typically milder areas. It is a stark reminder that even as the planet warms on average, we may still encounter a wide variety of extreme weather scenarios.