Blizzard frequency in the U.S. may decrease in the future
A unique study from The University of Nebraska- Lincoln Assistant Professor Liang Chen predicts fewer blizzards throughout the U.S. using identical models used by the intergovernmental panel on climate change.
By News Channel Nebraska
NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) - A unique study from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Assistant Professor Liang Chen predicts fewer blizzards throughout the U.S. using identical models used by the intergovernmental panel on climate change.
“We use global climate models to estimate what is a frequency of the winter blizzards will be in the U.S.," Chen said. “So based on the climate projection, we use a snowfall and windspeed to quantify the frequency of the blizzard, and we found overall there is a decreasing trend of the frequency of the blizzard in the next few decades or best the end of the century.”
The study is in its early stages. The global model is used to follow the overall trends of the blizzard. Chen said, “We have some follow-up work.” The current study only shows the blizzards taking place but doesn’t show how intense the blizzards can be in the future.
The duo is also working on a study with the Nebraska Department of Transportation to predict road conditions during a storm.