How Climate Change Is Impacting Storm Season in Your Region

Ever notice how the weather predictions you grew up with don't match what your eyes see nowadays? Storms hit harder than before. Dry times drag on forever. Rainy days bunch together like grapes. So, what in the world is happening? Weather experts say our changing climate affects different parts of America in different ways.

Northeast and Mid-Atlantic: Wetter and Wilder

Folks up in the Northeast part of the country now see about 55% more heavy rain events than back in the 1950s. These aren't gentle showers - they're gully-washers that dump several inches in just a few hours instead of nice, steady rain spread across days.

The regional climate impacts show up plain as day in places like New Jersey and New York, where storm drains built decades ago just can't handle all this water. Back in 2021, when Hurricane Ida's leftover storms hit New York City, subway stations looked like swimming pools, and streets turned into rushing rivers. Some poor souls living in basement apartments couldn't get out fast enough when the water came pouring in.

Winter throws its own curveballs these days. While the total amount of snow hasn't changed much, more winter wet stuff falls as rain instead of the fluffy white stuff. And when snow does show up, extreme weather patterns make it come in big storms rather than smaller, more frequent dustings.