A massive snowstorm blanketed much of the United States in snow and ice over the weekend. At least 12 people have died and more than 1 million people are without power as a result of the storm.

As of Monday afternoon, New Mexico’s Lake Bonito had 31 inches of snow, the most in the United States, according to the National Weather Service. Napanoke, New York, received the second-highest total of 30 inches, followed by Jennerstown, Pennsylvania. I received 24.7 inches. The agency notes that snowfall totals could be delayed by several days because of the time it takes for observatories to report data.

The storm broke records in many parts of the country. In New York City, Sunday’s storm dumped 11.4 inches of snow in Central Park, the most on record, and in Dayton, Ohio. 12.4 inches of snow fell there in one day, breaking the record set during the 1978 snowstorm. A city in Pennsylvania also set a record. Harrisburg recorded 14 inches of snow; break the daily record Meanwhile, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia also broke single-day snowfall records set in 2014 and 2000, with 11.2 inches and 9.3 inches of snow, respectively.

Although snow conditions are subsiding, the effects of the storm will continue over the next few days, especially as many areas that saw snow fall start the week early. single digit temperature. At the peak of the storm Sunday, 1 million homes were without power, mostly in southern states where heavy snowfall is rare, such as Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana and Kentucky. It could take days or even weeks for power to be restored in some areas. In Mississippi, utility company Tipa Power said the damage was “catastrophic” and it could take “weeks, not days” to get everyone back on track. The storm also caused widespread travel disruption, with the number of canceled flights comparable to previous years. early days of the pandemic.

Ahead of the storm, President Donald Trump used it as an opportunity to express his long-held skepticism about climate change. “Record cold weather is expected to hit 40 states. We’ve rarely seen anything like this before,” he wrote. post on Friday Truth Social. “Can you please explain to the environmentalists? What happened to global warming??”

But winter snowstorms do not disprove that the Earth is warming overall. And climate change could bring snow and other precipitation to record levels.

On average, winters are becoming shorter and milder due to climate change. However, research shows that climate change can lead to extreme weather events such as heat waves, heavy rains, floods, droughts, extreme wildfires, and hurricanes.more intensely and more often.

Global warming caused by greenhouse gases is contributing to a rise in the world’s average temperature. As the atmosphere warms, it can hold more moisture, which is released as precipitation.