Art DeGaetano, a climatologist and professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, is a fellow at Cornell University’s Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future and the director of the Cornell-based NOAA Northeast Regional Climate Center. He comments on speculation that the intensity and scale Monday’s massive tornado that struck outside of Oklahoma City can be linked to global climate change.
DeGaetano says:
“If any linkage between the strength and frequency of tornadoes and climate change exists, it is not well established.
“Even detecting historical trends in the occurrence of these storms has been difficult, given changes in the practices used to report and identify severe weather events. Trends in the meteorological phenomena that produce severe storms also provide little guidance, as some variables have become more favorable for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, while others have not.
“Overall there is not a significant trend toward conditions that are more favorable for tornado development.”
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