Topline
President Donald Trump mocked global warming Friday morning as the U.S. is set to encounter a far-reaching “major winter storm” affecting more than 170 million Americans.
More than 170 million Americans are expected to be impacted by this weekend’s winter storm.
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Key Facts
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the country has rarely seen a winter storm like the one expected to begin Friday as he pushed climate change skepticism that has been frequent throughout his two presidencies, saying: “Could the Environmental Insurrectionists please explain — WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING?”
The National Weather Service said the storm could cover areas ranging from the southern Rocky Mountains to New England, bringing widespread heavy snow or freezing rain and the potential for “catastrophic impacts.”
Parts of the country could expect more than a foot of snow, with even southern states like Texas bracing for wintry weather, according to the New York Times, which reported some areas of the country could face “record-breaking cold temperatures” that will continue into the next week.
Trump, siding with many members of the Republican Party, has downplayed climate change, calling it “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world,” one he says was “made by stupid people.”
He has long suggested cold weather bursts disprove climate change, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration responding to one of his posts in 2019, saying, “Winter storms don’t prove that global warming isn’t happening” as it provided a link to an analysis on the topic.
Despite science experts agreeing global warming continues to play a significant role in the world’s climate, the Trump administration has dismissed it, with the Department of Energy adding “climate change” on its list of words to avoid at its Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Politico reported.
Key Background
Scientists say cold snaps do not contradict global warming because climate change refers to long-term trends in average temperatures, not short-term weather events. A warming planet, according to NOAA, can still produce extreme winter storms, including severe cold, as shifting atmosphere patterns disrupt normal weather systems. Researchers say climate change is indirectly affecting winter storms by giving them more moisture and heat energy, which can make them strong and more precipitation-heavy even if average winter temperatures increase. Because of this, a warming climate may create the likelihood for even more severe snowstorms, officials say.
Crucial Quote
“Even though global warming is causing warmer winters overall, severe winter weather events are still possible — and perhaps even more likely — because warming is not the only consequence of human-caused climate change,” Jennifer Francis, a researcher at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, told CNN. “Other ingredients that set the stage for severe winter weather are on the rise, and many of them are in play this week.”
Big Number
10. NASA says the last 10 years have been the warmest on record on Earth, with 2024 remaining the hottest year.
Chief Critic
In a blog post earlier this week, the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School said it revamped its Silencing Science Tracker, which documents attacks on scientific research and education. “It’s now clearer than ever just how widespread, and devastating, the second Trump administration’s attacks on science have been,” the center said. “While the Tracker has historically focused on attacks against climate scientists, the data make clear that the current assault is much broader, affecting research in all fields.”