As the World Warms, Part of the American Southeast Cools

Although the Deep South has a reputation for hot, steamy weather, part of the Southeastern United States actually experienced cooler-than-normal temperatures in the years between 1991 and 2012.

That fact has been highlighted in the third National Climate Assessment report on climate change released by the White House last Tuesday.  Long-term trends suggest the region, like most of the

planet, will continue to warm, but the reasons for the localized cooling may provide insight into how climate systems work, scientists say.

In the section on the Southeast, the report noted that cooling in part of the region between 1991 and 2012 was "unusual compared to the rest of the U.S. and the globe." The phenomenon has been dubbed the "global warming hole."

As the World Warms, Part of the American Southeast Cools