Two images showing snow cover on January 13, 1999 and the same day in 2024, 25 years later. “There is no trace of climate boiling,” write those who share the content to demonstrate that – precisely – climate change does not exist. However, the comparison does not prove that climate change does not exist, nor does it take away from the fact that 2024 was the hottest January on record.
For those in a hurry:
- A comparison between snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere on January 13, 1999 and that of the same day in 2024 is presented.
- The comparison is used to argue that climate change does not exist.
- In reality, two data referring to two specific moments are not illustrative.
- The comparison therefore does not prove that climate change does not exist.
Analyzes
Let's see a screenshot of one of the messages being checked (other examples here and here). The content is served from the Solar Activity page, which is no stranger to publishing misleading information. The description reads:
Comparison of snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere between the days of January 13, 1999-2024. 25 years have passed, but there is no trace of climatic boiling.
As noted in the images themselves, the graphics come from the Global Snow Lab at Rutgers University, State University of New Jersey, USA. The calculations correspond to what is actually obtained on the institute's website for 2024 and 1999. We see that, compared to this year, 25 years ago, snow cover was much greater in Central Europe, particularly in France and Germany and that there was snow also in north-west Italy. Even in China there was more snow than today, while in the southwestern United States there was less snow cover.
A non-existent correlation
As we have seen in other articles, using the weather conditions of a single day or time, comparing them with those of a similar time in the past, is not a sufficient basis for proving or reverse the effects of climate change. These can be measured on thirty-year averages, and not on improvised data. For this reason, reporting the temperatures of one day in December 1932 or remembering that even in the 1950s they had already reached 40 degrees in some Italian cities is of no use. The same concept was expressed to AFP by the director of the Rutgers Global Snow Lab, David Robinson: “You cannot link a map or a month to climate change. You have to look back years, or even decades, to get a sense of where and why the extent of snow cover may or may not change. »
January 2024 hottest on record
Especially in light of the satellite surveys of Copernicus, the European program for monitoring the health of the Earth. These show that 2024 was the hottest January ever recorded on Earth, a month after 2023, the hottest year on record. We also remember how climate change can increase the intensity of cold spells, as well as the resulting snowfall.
Conclusions
A comparison is presented between the snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere on January 13, 1999 and that of the same day in 2024. The comparison is used to argue that climate change does not exist. In reality, two data referring to two specific moments are not illustrative. The comparison therefore does not prove that climate change does not exist.
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