By. Jennilee Mirtil
If you're in Florida, you’re probably experiencing the "winter" season, trading out your t-shirts for sweaters and shorts for sweats. Our tropical zone is slowly morphing in to something closer to cold woodlands. But it’s not just Florida—elsewhere, heavy snowstorms are crashing the party, while water is running scarce in hotter states. Wildfires are roaring, droughts are creeping in, and unprecedented blizzards are burying towns that normally wouldn’t see a single snowflake.
Colder winters are happening in places that should never need to worry about frostbite. So we’re left asking: What’s going on? What’s happening? Where is all this coming from?
And before you roll your eyes thinking, Oh great, another climate change article, hear me out. This is actually worth pulling back the curtain and paying attention. Why are the seasons seemingly switching roles? Why is the North heating up while the South freezes—or the North is even colder than normal, and the South is, quite literally, brick outside?
Here’s the deal: scientists are noticing a pattern. Colder winters in unlikely places and extreme weather events—like wildfires and droughts—are directly linked to climate change. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), global temperatures have increased by about 2°F (1.1°C) since the late 19th century, but that seemingly small shift has thrown weather systems into chaos.
Let’s talk polar vortex—a fancy term for the massive whirlpool of cold air around the Arctic. Normally, it stays locked up north where it belongs. But thanks to climate change weakening the jet stream (think of it as the Earth's weather conveyor belt), the vortex sometimes escapes, sending icy air southward. Boom—unseasonal snow in Texas and Northern Florida.
And while the South freezes, other areas are literally on fire. Wildfires burned over 4.2 million acres in the U.S. in 2023 alone. Even as we read, California is in flames, a hot spot for wildfires, with areas reaching over 120°F. The result? Droughts and tinderbox conditions that fuel raging infernos.
So yeah, the snow is happening, and so are the fires. It’s all connected, and it’s all climate change. The next time you bundle up in Florida or hear about wildfires during what’s supposed to be the rainy season, remember: this isn’t just freak weather. It’s a warning.
Take Action Now!
Want to help make a difference? Reach out to the Youth Environmental Alliance (YEA) https://www.youthenvironmentalalliance.com/events to learn more about how you can spread awareness, support those affected, and even donate to wildfire relief efforts, especially for families and communities impacted in California.
Every bit counts, whether it’s sharing information, volunteering, or contributing to disaster recovery funds.
Together, we can work toward a future where our winters and summers return to some sense of normal—and our planet gets the care it desperately needs.
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