Throughout time, most notably in the last century, humans have released heat-trapping gases, called greenhouse gases, as they power their lives. Greenhouse gases trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere in what scientists call the "greenhouse effect." Without greenhouse gases, more sunlight would reflect from the Earth's surface and radiate back into space. Greenhouse gases trap some of this heat; the more greenhouse gases, the more heat is trapped on Earth. The result is called global warming. Global warming is a major concern because it may be changing the Earth's climate faster than many living things can adapt to it.
Blizzards are severe winter storms. The National Weather Service states that a winter storm is a blizzard if it involves large amounts of falling or blowing snow, winds in excess of 35 mph and visibility of less than 1/4-mile for 3 or more hours. Blizzards can cause life-threating conditions and a variety of other problems.
Over the past 50 years, the frequency of blizzards has decreased as the climate has gotten warmer. Eventually, if the trend continues, climate change could make it too warm (over 32 degrees Fahrenheit) for snow to fall in some regions. However, this most likely would not happen for a very long time.
Although the frequency of blizzards seem to be decreasing as the climate warms, their intensity is becoming stronger. As a result, massive snowstorms and blizzards seem to be more common. Global warming appears to be a major contributor to these results. Global warming makes the air hotter. Hotter air can hold more moisture. When a storm comes though, it gathers this moisture-packed air and generates a massive amount of snow. This can turn a regular winter storm into a more intensifying and powerful blizzard.