How do warmer average global temps cause colder winters?

Question

Like the title says, I know that global warming does produce colder winters but I’m unable to explain how.

In: 6

Answer 1

More energy in the system = more events/instability

In North America that instability was recently reflected in air currents from the polar regions extending/being pushed way outside their “usual” zone and down across most of North America, resulting in some very cold weather for a couple weeks.

Note that a handful of very cold “events” in any given winter don’t necessarily mean the winters as a whole are getting colder. Follow USDA cold hardiness zones and first/last frost dates and the trend over time is that first frosts are happening later, last frosts are happening earlier and overall winters are getting warmer, just with more severe weather.