Syracuse is known for its cold, snowy winters. The current progression of climate change will make life here even harder. We all love the beautiful snowy landscape of Syracuse, the quintessential sledding adventures down Crouse Hill and the daily decision between snow boots or sneakers.  

Nothing compares to the euphoria of stepping inside after trudging in the freezing cold all day. The harsh reality, however, is that climate change will bring unbearable snow levels, wind and lower temperatures. Eventually, elevated temperatures will drastically disrupt life in Syracuse as snow will turn to rain.

Syracuse can only stay a winter wonderland if we act now. You may be asking yourself a couple of questions: Isn’t it supposed to be snowy in Syracuse? If snowfall is increasing, how is the Earth getting hotter? A weather pattern called “lake effect snow” explains how it is possible. Lake-effect snow occurs when cold air travels over the Great Lakes. As the cold air moves over the Great Lakes, clouds form due to the heat and moisture in the air. 

As additional warm air rises, clouds begin to precipitate and continue to grow as they travel across the open water of the Great Lakes. Geographically, Syracuse is directly in the path of lake effect snow, which is why we annually receive some of the most snow in the world. Ice coverage over the Great Lakes, however, has diminished more quickly in recent years and will continue to do so due to climate change. Less ice equals more open water, creating more strength for an extreme weather event. 

According to the American Meteorological Society, Syracuse has an average increase of .75 inches of lake-effect snow annually. The frequency of severe snowstorms will increase, which could cause many problems. Of course, to a certain extent, snow can help the local economy by providing an extended winter sports season and greater business for snow removal services. 

The potential travel hazards and disruptions to everyday life outweigh possible business booms, though. Not to mention that, according to the Journal of Great Lakes Research, by the end of the century, the lake effect would be primarily rainstorms instead of snow, so any positive coming from the snow would be short-lived.

To limit the warming so students after us can experience the same traditions, we should come together as a Syracuse University community to protest the current energy transition plan and urge the university to reduce CO2 emissions more quickly than it has set out to do. We can do this by holding administrators accountable while we can still control the degree of warming. Secondly, we need to ask our local representatives to change laws to simplify the implementation of renewable energy infrastructure. We can also connect with state and federal officials and ask them to subsidize SU for an expedited renewable energy implementation process.

If you think Syracuse is already snowy enough, climate change would only increase the amount of snowfall before the lake-effect snow turns to lake-effect rain. Think about all the activities that are in the community that would be impacted when temperatures inevitably increase, meaning no more snow. Sledding down Crouse Hill will be gone, as would skiing trips. Even though we would not need to hike through the snow to class, the traditional SU experience would be ruined. It will take a lot of us to get university action. Nevertheless, with some perseverance, hope and help, we can hold SU accountable. Syracuse would never be the same without the snow.

Andrew Lieberman is a junior citizenship and civic engagement and political science dual major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at aslieber@syr.edu.

Published on February 3, 2022 at 1:44 am