What happened to global warming? Why is it so cold lately?

Totally fair question—and you’re not the first to side-eye global warming while shoveling snow 🥶

Here’s the key idea that clears it up:

Global warming doesn’t mean “no more cold.” It means the average temperature of the planet is rising over time. Day-to-day and region-to-region weather can still swing hard in either direction.

A few things that explain why the eastern U.S. can get extra cold even as the planet warms:

1. Weather ≠ climate

· Weather is what you feel this week.

· Climate is the long-term pattern over decades. You can have brutal cold snaps inside a warming climate—just like a heat wave doesn’t cancel winter.

2. A wavier jet stream

As the Arctic warms faster than the rest of the planet, the temperature difference that normally keeps cold air “locked up north” weakens. That can make the jet stream wobblier, allowing Arctic air to plunge south into the eastern U.S. for days or weeks.

So paradoxically:

A warming Arctic can increase the odds of sharp cold outbreaks farther south.

3. Polar vortex disruptions

When the polar vortex weakens or stretches, cold air spills into places like the Midwest and East Coast instead of staying near the pole. That’s when you get those “why does it feel like Canada moved?” weeks.

4. One cold region doesn’t cancel global trends

While it’s cold in the eastern U.S., other parts of the world (or even the western U.S.) may be experiencing unusual warmth. Globally, the long-term temperature trend is still up.

Bottom line

Cold spells in the eastern U.S. don’t disprove global warming—they’re actually consistent with how a warming planet can mess with atmospheric patterns.