Winter becomes an illusion: experts warn of winter carrots”!

The weather forecasts for winter 2025 show an unusual deviation from expectations. According to Dominik Jung, a qualified meteorologist, the phenomenon is referred to as the “winter carrot” because the predicted winter does not materialize. Instead of freezing temperatures and snow, many regions experience mild temperatures and rain, especially at the beginning of the year. On January 6th, temperatures of up to 14 degrees are expected in western Germany. These mitigating weather conditions are the result of modern weather models as well as global warming, which is leading to untypical January temperatures.

Jung points out that weather models often overestimate cold and snow based on historical patterns. The currently prevailing warm air masses have destroyed the original winter expectations. Experts also warn that global warming is leading to more unpredictable weather patterns and accurately predicting winter weather is becoming increasingly difficult. Although a new cold snap is forecast for mid-January, the likelihood remains uncertain. The concept of the “winter carrot” symbolizes the disappointed hopes of a real winter, like Mercury reported.

Global warming and its consequences

Global warming recorded a significant increase in 2023. The global average surface temperature was almost 1.5 degrees Celsius above the comparable period from 1850 to 1900. For comparison: in 2022 the temperature was 0.3 degrees lower. Dr. Helge Gößling from the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) speaks of “surprisingly high” temperatures and points to man-made influences, El Niño and volcanic eruptions as the causes of the temperature increase. What is particularly notable is that no explanation has yet been found for 0.2 degrees of increase, making it a crucial question in climate research.

Research teams suspect that a lack of low clouds over the North Atlantic is contributing to this increase. Low clouds reflect sunlight and have a cooling effect, while high clouds retain heat in the atmosphere. The decrease in cloud cover at low altitudes was observed particularly in the northern mid-latitudes and the tropics. A significant decrease in low clouds occurred in the eastern North Atlantic, a key driver of the increase in global mean temperature. These developments could have been promoted by warming of the sea surface and the decline of fine particles in the atmosphere.

Gößling's warning says that global warming of over 1.5 degrees Celsius could be closer than previously thought. This underlines the urgency of tightening climate targets and taking precautions against the consequences of extreme weather events, such as daily news reported.