Cooler ocean temperatures in the equatorial region of the Pacific Ocean affect weather patterns in the United States during winter months, which have resulted in little to no snow in Maryland. In past years, there would typically have been about three to four inclement weather days by this time of the year. However, one month into the new year, Howard County has not had any snow days.
The lack of snow days have had students on edge. Not only that, the county has a new snow day policy dictating that the first three snow days are asynchronous days. On these days, students are required to check Canvas for attendance and the work assigned for each of their classes. Students have a ten day interval to complete the work assigned during asynchronous days. But signs of snow and inclement weather days are yet to show.
To put things into perspective, there has been a staggering 0.2 inches of snow in Maryland as of February 2023. The snow deficit in Maryland can be traced back to the La Niña event beginning in December 2022, an extreme version of normal weather patterns. La Niña has led to colder temperatures in the West; Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana averaged more snow and ice. La Niña typically lasts nine to twelve months and has an effect on global temperatures.
Active Pacific jet streams are keeping southeastern areas warm this winter. Precipitation levels are observed to be higher in the northeast, with seven more inches of rainfall since November according to The Baltimore Banner. Global wind patterns affect global temperatures, with strong trade winds blowing from east to west. La Niña winters in the northeast tend to be chilly, but not freezing. Warmer winds and weather means less snow for much of the east coast.
Despite not having any snow days so far, Howard County has had one day off right before winter break due to high winds.
The 20.6 inches of snowfall Maryland averages annually is nowhere near right, and some experts say this trend is bound to become a pattern in upcoming years. Meteorologist Jason Furtado states that while climate change is certainly a contributing factor, it is only one of many.
In addition, climatologists have found that climate change increases the severity of storms in equatorial regions. When temperatures climb upwards, water vapor in the atmosphere expands, falling as precipitation. Equatorial regions are expected to have more intense storms, while some colder regions may experience snow storms due to disturbance to the polar vortex. Increased snow intensity has been linked to lower temperatures at the poles. When the polar vortex splits, some regions experience unusual cold spells. However, the Arctic gets warmer. Short term increases in winter intensity cannot be seen to disprove climate change, as global temperatures are indeed changing.
Some scientists predict back in the early winter months of 2022 that a slow start to snowfall could potentially build up to a massive snow storm from late January to early March. As the weather remains cold, Mustangs are still hopeful for snow days in the next few weeks.