US president asks ‘whatever happened to global warming?’ Well, it could be making our winter storms worse
Donald Trump has erroneously cited an enormous winter storm that is set to deliver freezing temperatures and heavy snow to half of the US as supposed proof that the world is not heating up due to the burning of fossil fuels.
Trump, who has repeatedly questioned and mocked established climate science in the past, posted of the storm on Truth Social: “Rarely seen anything like it before. Could the Environmental Insurrectionists please explain – WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING???”
The winter storm will surge from the Rockies across the midwest and southern US on Friday, ending up on the east coast over the weekend. At least 230 million people are expected to be affected in some way by the storm with roads set to become dangerously icy and power blackouts expected in multiple locations.
This storm is being caused by a mass of frigid air from the Arctic hitting warmer, moister air in the US. Colder Arctic air is usually confined to the far northern latitudes by the polar vortex, a vast circular ribbon of wind. When the polar vortex weakens or stretches out, the freezing Arctic air can spill out south into the US, a bit like when you open the front door on a very cold day. This is what is happening now.
