In the middle of a cold winter, a little global warming might sound like a good alternative. But increased temperatures lead to greater melting of ice and snow. And as meteorologist Bernadette Woods Placky points out, that melting can have serious ramifications.

April 1 is supposed to mark the high point of California’s snowpack. It’s when officials estimate how much water they’re going to see flowing into reservoirs as winter’s snow melts during the spring and summer. But after this hot, dry winter, there wasn’t much to measure, and the snowpack came in at a shocking 6 percent of normal — an all-time

Earlier snowmelt means no more slipping on ice or shoveling driveways, right? That may be true, but it can also have devastating consequences.

Maybe you saw the maps making the rounds on Twitter and elsewhere on the web: “Snow!” some shouted. Inches of it blanketing the Northeast this weekend, thanks to a brewing storm. Maybe you also saw the responses from seasoned meteorologists warning those projections should be taken with a healthy grain of rock salt.