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Some winters are colder than others and some winters are wetter and snowier than others. Trivia Question: What is the best way to predict what kind of winter you will have? a) Look at how intense the Sun is right now b) Look at how much ice there is in the Arctic c) Look at [...]

Earth has warmed over the last few decades. But this warming is more noticeable in certain seasons than it is in others. Trivia Question: In the United States, which season is warming the most? a) Spring b) Summer c) Fall d) Winter The correct answer is d. While the United States is warming at a [...]

Earth’s lakes are collecting and storing more heat than they did a century or even several decades ago. One indication of this increased heat storage is a global reduction in the annual duration of lake ice cover. In mid-latitude lakes, the average annual date when enough ice has grown to cover a lake’s surface is [...]

From Climate Central: The currents around the equator in the Pacific Ocean are cooler than average this year, which means we are experiencing the phenomenon known as La Niña. This oceanic and atmospheric cycle can bring good weather conditions, or poor ones, depending on where you live and your point of view. Climate Center: La [...]

Temperatures are dropping and the onset of the Northern Hemisphere snow season is upon us. In the Arctic region, snow is already beginning to fall and over the next few weeks, other high latitude and even some mid-latitude locations will get their first dusting. The full snow season is defined as the interval between the [...]

Earth’s carbon dioxide (CO2) levels rose from about 315 parts per million in 1960 to around 390 parts per million today. CO2 levels vary from place to place around the globe, with urban areas generally having higher concentrations than surrounding rural areas. Levels also vary based on the time of day. In temperate zones, for [...]

Preliminary results indicate that on September 10, 2010, the Arctic sea ice reached its annual minimum extent of 1.84 million square miles. This is the third lowest extent on record after the 2008 and record low 2007 seasons, and 22 percent below the 1979-2009 average minimum. This year’s melt season started late, leading to the [...]

Plants and animals that live high up in the mountains have to be able to tolerate strong winds and long durations of snow cover. Most animals, such as the yellow-bellied marmot, deal with long and cold winters by hibernating. Over the last century, the Rocky Mountain region in Colorado has warmed by between 1.5 and [...]

Earth Gauge Video is available for this tip. In Brief: Temperatures in local waterways are rising from a combination of factors. Moving from Chicago to Baltimore, where the average temperature is about ten degrees Fahrenheit warmer, might take a little bit of adjustment but almost certainly wouldn’t be fatal for humans. Most fish and other [...]

Many of Earth’s great ice masses, which collectively form the cryosphere, are floating on ocean surfaces. There are three main collections of floating ice: the Arctic sea ice, the Antarctic ice shelves and the Antarctic sea ice. All three components have seasonal fluctuations, with the Antarctic sea ice showing the most dramatic differences between winter [...]

In Brief: Warming across the state of Michigan has been followed by an influx of species formerly inhabiting lands to the south. The Great Lakes region is an ecological “transition zone.” To the north lie boreal forests dominated by conifer trees. To the southwest lie oak savannas and prairies, and to the southeast lie deciduous [...]

One of Earth’s most dramatic seasonal cycles is the waxing and waning of the sea ice that surrounds Antarctica, the driest, darkest and coldest continent. At its maximum extent at the end of the Southern Hemisphere winter in September, a 6.9 million square mile expanse of ice extends from Antarctica’s shores out into the Southern [...]

In northern China, how much rain falls each year is controlled by the strength of the Asian Monsoon – the system of seasonal winds that bring moist marine air onto land during the summer and cold dry air out to sea during the winter. When the monsoon system is strong, there is ample rainfall and [...]

In Brief: Higher elevation areas are experiencing the overall global trend of wind speed “stilling” more acutely than surrounding lowlands. Wind speeds in the mid-latitudes have shown a downward trend over the past 30-50 years, a phenomenon known as “stilling.” Any trends in wind speed have implications for the water cycle, ecosystems and wind energy [...]

In Brief: Different plants use different signals to tell them when to come out of winter dormancy, which affects their response to climate change. Phenology is the study of naturally recurring events, such as plants blooming in spring. In moist temperate regions like the Eastern United States, some plants come out of their winter dormancy [...]

In the Northern Hemisphere, deciduous trees are beginning to come out of their dormant season and unfurl their leaves. Soon, the greys and browns that characterize America’s broadleaf forests during winter will be replaced the by the greens of spring and summer. Over the last four decades, there has been a global trend in the [...]

Winter is ending and the growing or “frost free” season is almost here! The frost free season is defined as the continuous period of the year when the temperature does not drop below freezing. When this season starts and how long it lasts have important implications for the plants and animals that live around us, [...]

Winter is ending and the growing or “frost free” season is almost here! The frost free season is defined as the continuous period of the year when the temperature does not drop below freezing. When this season starts and how long it lasts have important implications for the plants and animals that live around us, [...]

Winter is ending and the growing or “frost free” season is almost here! The frost free season is defined as the continuous period of the year when the temperature does not drop below freezing. When this season starts and how long it lasts have important implications for the plants and animals that live around us, [...]

Winter is ending and the growing or “frost free” season is almost here! The frost free season is defined as the continuous period of the year when the temperature does not drop below freezing. When this season starts and how long it lasts have important implications for the plants and animals that live around us, [...]