How climate change is supercharging the massive winter storm freezing two-thirds of america

A colossal winter storm is currently battering the United States, plunging more than 230 million Americans—two-thirds of the nation’s population—into a dangerous deep freeze that could last through early next week. The system is delivering heavy snowfall and catastrophic ice accumulations from the Southwest to the Northeast, with wind chills in the Northern Plains expected to plummet below -50°F. The Weather Channel and National Weather Service are warning of widespread power outages and travel disruptions that will compound the danger for millions.

While it might seem counterintuitive, climate change is actually amplifying this brutal winter weather. The culprit is a phenomenon called Arctic amplification—the Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the planet. As sea ice disappears, darker ocean waters absorb more solar energy, creating a feedback loop of accelerating warmth. This reduces the temperature difference between the Arctic and southern regions, weakening the jet stream that normally keeps frigid polar air locked up north. When the jet stream becomes wobbly and meanders, it allows Arctic air masses to plunge southward.

Climate change is also supercharging the storm through exceptionally warm ocean waters in the Gulf of Mexico and off Baja California—conditions made much more likely by human carbon emissions. These warm waters load the atmosphere with extra moisture that collides with the Arctic system, intensifying precipitation. As Climate Central’s Kaitlyn Trudeau explains, “Judging climate change by a cold storm is like judging a baseball season by a single inning, but climate change has a tangible impact on this storm.” The brutal conditions millions of Americans are experiencing represent climate change in action, not its absence.