Expert sets the record straight on Florida's recent record-breaking snowfall: 'Both things are related ... but they are distinct'

"If the Earth is supposed to be warming, why is it snowing in a place like Florida?"

This common misconception about the term "global warming" can be quite confusing due to its wording. However, one TikToker did an excellent job breaking down this misunderstanding in response to Florida's record-breaking snow in January.

TikToker certifiedcitygirl (@certifiedcitygirl05) shared a breakdown of "global warming" in response to a comment on one of her previous videos. "Yes freak out about global warming while it snows in Florida," the commenter wrote. 

@certifiedcitygirl05 Replying to @Trigger88 Climate change and global warming are often used interchangeably which leads to misunderstandings like this one. Let's talk about how they're distinct things, how they relate, and what's really causing the snow to fall in Florida! #climatecrisis #globalwarming #snow #snowinflorida #climatechange ♬ original sound - certifiedcitygirl

"Let's take a few minutes and talk about this comment," she starts. 

In the video, she explains why this distinction between "global warming" and "climate change" can be confusing, and puts blame on people in climate, like herself, and the media for not doing a good enough job explaining things, or assuming everyone understands.

"What I want to do on this page is really talk and break stuff down more often like this," she says, hoping to open dialogue and "spread as much information as possible."

"Both things are related to one another but they are distinct things," she explains. To help break it down, she gives clear definitions for each.

"Global warming is the specific rise in the Earth's average surface temperature," she says. She explains how this rise in temperature is due to humans through the use of burning fossil fuels and deforestation. "Climate change is the broader, more long-term shifts in weather patterns."

She goes on to say that these changes in weather patterns can form in different ways across the globe. For example, drier conditions in California leading to out-of-season wildfires, or worsening hurricanes in Florida. 

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With the uncharacteristic snowfall in Florida, she explains that it is due to two main reasons: moisture from the Gulf of Mexico that is trapped in the air and combines with a low pressure system that leads to snow; and a polar vortex, which is a band of strong winds that form in the North Pole each year, that is disrupted by higher temperatures in the atmosphere that cause it to travel south. 

And then beyond all that, weather is just weather, and the temperature of a given day does not necessarily say much about the overall trend across years.

With so many different terms, it can be quite difficult to discuss these issues relating to climate. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the media even started using terms like "climate emergency" in 2019. What OP points out is that the most important part of these terms is having discussions about the concepts so we can understand the science and make changes.

"I'm going to start making videos about the climate crisis and all these things because everyone has sooo many questions!!" one commenter joined in.

"Thank you for this video," another wrote. "I keep feeling sad seeing all the 'happy' videos of southern dogs and kids enjoying first ever snow days, like why aren't more people concerned about this?"

"It is sad because it can be really fun when you get to go play and enjoy snow for the first time but it's temporary joy," writes back OP. "The adults should be concerned for their children!"

To start having conversations on climate with others, check out the Nature Conservancy's free guide or the United Nations' tips.

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