It’s been an especially balmy and snow-free season for most of the lower-48 states.  Area ski resorts are struggling to remain open in 50-degree weather while western states are suffering from a severe drought.  

So this must mean we’re in the final throes of climate change, right?  Mayan doomsday calendar and all! 

Not quite. 

Just two years ago on this very day, the Mid-Atlantic woke up buried underneath nearly three-feet of snow (snowpocalypse).  So what exactly is going on?

Well, the stark contrast we are witnessing between year-on-year seasons can indeed be attributed to climate change, as increased levels of heat-trapping gasses are resulting in disruptions in weather patterns and greater variability in weather events (ie: more extreme occurences). 

Because weather patterns can swing so wildly from year to year, scientists have to take a much longer-term view in order to discern any irrefutable patterns. 

By combining key indicators, scientists can then deduce theories based upon solid data.  

Here’s a cool video explaining the difference between a trend and variation. 

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