New Weather Extremes Introduce Unfamiliar Terms for Climate Disaster

Words matter — naming things increases awareness and understanding

One of many flood warnings issued by the National Weather Service for California in response to the intense rainfall events resulting from atmospheric rivers. Image credit: National Weather Service

Not long ago talking about climate change was relatively simple — how hot will it get, and how soon. However, disasters in recent years have introduced a growing number of terms such as polar vortex and tipping point in addition to…