Climate - Extreme cold still in forecast

Despite an overall warming trend, extreme cold events are still likely to persist for the next century, according to research published by Evan Kodra, Karsten Steinhaeuser and Auroop Ganguly of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The Southeast and Northwest regions of the United States may be especially vulnerable, the researchers conclude in their paper published in Geophysical Research Letters. The team used nine global climate models with a moderate greenhouse gas emissions scenario to compare 1991-2000 vs. 2091-2100. "Our findings suggest that despite a general warming trend, regional preparedness for extreme cold events cannot be compromised even toward the end of the century," said Ganguly, who described the findings as counterintuitive.