If there is one thing I learned about Seattleites since moving here in May, it's that there is nothing the people of this town love more than complaining about the weather.

For the first few months, I experienced all the traditional Seattle woes — drizzle, rain, sideways rain — but as the summer days began to drift in, I soon found, to my surprise, a new side to Seattle weather.

The dismal heat landed like a low cloud, encompassing all those stuck in town. Dogs and shirts were left inside; pavements steamed hot enough to boil an egg in ten seconds. Stores quickly sold out of air conditioners, bags of ice, and popsicles. The whole city of vampires evaporated into a puddle of hot complaints.

Eventually, the heat subsided, and the city cooled down into a gorgeous fall, one filled with bright colors, mysterious fog, and the best opportunities for leaf frolicking. Once again, we experienced the typical rainy days Seattleites boast about, the most hardcore PNW warriors never exposing weakness by using an umbrella.

However, a new surprise was lurking just at the end of the year. Snowpocalypse 2021 descended, promising a white post-Christmas for anyone willing to stay up and wait for the flurries. It wasn't your average Western Washington snowfall, however. A blanket of thick white snow covered streets, cars, and buildings brought and cheer all around — for nearly eight minutes.

One quick stroll around Capitol Hill was all it took to spot nearly a dozen stuck cars with poor drivers perplexed as to why their Kia Sorentos and Toyota Priuses were unable to make it up a 20-degree incline. For a week, the city shut down. Libraries and coffee shops, the lifeblood of all Seattle neighborhoods, scrunched their hours — if they were able to get folks to come in at all.

With the snow finally starting to melt, people are back to work as usual, but many are left wondering: what is causing Seattle's weird weather patterns, and how come it is so unprepared each time a new crisis strikes?

If it's global warming, why is Seattle so cold?
What is causing Seattle's severe weather events? The short answer: global warming. While it may seem silly at first, the rise of the global heat index is exactly what is causing the frigid temperatures we have been experiencing here in Seattle. Over the last two decades, the Arctic has warmed twice as fast as the rest of the world. This shift in temperature is causing the jet stream to dip further south, sending frigid arctic air into more southern latitudes than it used to.

Another reason for increased snowfall is that moisture is evaporating at higher rates due to an increase in global temperature. With more water in the air and colder temperatures, Seattle is experiencing snow at higher frequencies each winter.

The summer heatwaves and wildfire smoke are also direct results of climate change. Greenhouse-gas emissions have led the temperature to rise nearly 2 degrees Celsius since the 1880s. While this may seem small, it's a big deal.

While signatories to the Paris Climate Agreement vowed to curb global warming at a 1.5-degree Celsius increase from pre-industrial times, even that would mean summer temperatures that reach unhealthy levels for up to 60 million people worldwide. As the state of global warming stands now, temperatures are expected to keep climbing, to an increase of 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) by the year 2100.

If current levels of greenhouse gas emissions continue at the rate they are going in the US, this means nearly one-third of the US population will experience heat waves above 105 degrees Fahrenheit. This is incredibly alarming, as heat waves already contribute to the most weather-related deaths in the United States. These heat waves in the US are also responsible for global food shortages, raising the cost of goods people need to survive and further widening the gap between the poor and the middle class.

Why isn't Seattle prepared for climate disasters?
As a lifelong Eastern Washingtonian, the first thing I noticed was the complete lack of snowplows in Seattle. In my hometown of Spokane, the moment a snowflake lands on the ground, ten plows are out on all the roads, clearing the way. Sure, it may take a few days for them to get into the neighborhoods, but main roads, especially hills leading to places of business, are cleared within a day.

In Seattle, busy side roads remained snowy, and when the temperature rose just enough to melt the top layers into slush, a thick and dangerous layer of ice soon followed.

According to Seattle.gov, the city does not have dedicated snow plows. Trucks have to outfitted with snow removal equipment when the white stuff threatens, and there are not enough to plow all streets. In comparison, Spokane has 40 truck plows, 35 graders, 10 loaders, and 4 deicing trucks. It has snowplows running in 12-hour shifts around the clock to ensure that the streets remain clear for drivers.

Despite locals reporting that nearly every winter Seattle has received at least one day of significant snowfall, the city has yet to invest in more plows, which, in turn, forces citizens to stay home from work or put themselves in danger to make it into the office.

Snow isn't Seattle's only problem as the climate continues to change. Seattle was built for a moderate climate, and with summer heatwaves now predicted to become more and more regular, older buildings will require some remodeling.

Many of Seattle's historic buildings are experiencing more wear and tear due to increased temperatures in the summer. Lack of efficient climate control indoors, and in-unit air conditioning, has led to many health concerns for older and vulnerable citizens.

For those without homes, the risk is even greater. While the city does have several homeless shelters provided by private organizations, they often discriminate against LGBTQ+ people and those with drug abuse problems. For those that shelters are unwilling to house, the hottest and coldest months can become quite deadly.

Is climate change worth fighting?
As the effects of climate change become more and more catastrophic, affecting our everyday lives in Seattle, hopelessness can feel inevitable.

While the increasing storms and heatwaves we are experiencing here in Seattle might seem like something out of the Book of Revelations, that does not mean it is time to throw in the towel. As author and activist Rebecca Solnit says, "People have always been good at imagining the end of the world, which is much easier to picture than the strange sidelong paths of change in a world without end."

While the challenge may seem intimidating, so has nearly everything worth fighting for. Joining dedicated climate activists can make a difference in fighting the extreme weather that is now starting to bite back at us.

"There is a great deal each of us can do," said Natural Resources Defense Council senior scientist Kim Knowlton, "and little things add up to big things." Actions that may seem insignificant can in fact add up. Getting involved with local government through lobbying, letters to congresspeople, attending town halls, and even protesting has led to many victories in the battle against climate change, such as the takedown of Keystone XL and the abandonment of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. If policies like President Biden's Build Back Better agenda are passed, the United States could cut its global emissions in half by 2030.

Other small ways individuals can help fight climate change are by making lifestyle changes, including going meat- or dairy-free, driving less, and composting food.

If we, a community, are to learn to survive in a new climate, we must start taking individual steps to create a better environment. We must not lose hope that our actions can further the movement, and we must encourage Seattle and King County to invest, not only in more snow plows (because God knows we need them) but in more sustainability programs.