By Sid Perkins
Nearly 2 decades’ of satellite observations suggest that an increase in Arctic cloudiness at certain times of the year may partially counteract the effects of global warming in the region.
On a year-round basis, the total cloudiness at latitudes above 60N–a latitude that swings near Oslo, the southern tip of Greenland, and Seward, Alaska–hasn’t changed significantly in recent years. However, cloud coverage at different seasons has varied, says Jeffrey R. Key, a climatologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Madison, Wis. That fluctuation is affecting the region’s weather.