In a TikTok skit, creator Indre Rock (@indrerock) delivers the answer to a common climate question with clarity and humor: Why is it still freezing if the planet is heating up?

The video kicks off with a jaw-dropping stat recorded during a winter storm in 2022: temperatures in Wyoming dropped 30 degrees in just nine minutes.

@indrerock What does the #polarvortex have to do with #climatechange ? #globalwarming #arctic #ootd ♬ original sound - @indrerock

From there, Rock plays both characters in a friendly back-and-forth, and she walks through how that kind of extreme weather is because of global overheating, not in spite of it.

What follows is an easy-to-follow breakdown of how the Arctic is heating up nearly four times faster than the rest of the planet, as PBS detailed.

That warming destabilizes the polar vortex, the cold, swirling air typically trapped above the North Pole (explained here by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), and weakens the jet stream (described by MIT Climate Portal). 

When the vortex wobbles like a spinning top, icy Arctic air escapes south, disrupting typical weather patterns.

This concept often gets lost in climate conversations, but Rock turns it into a TikTok you'll want to send to your group chat. 

With clever writing and relatable metaphors, she makes climate science click in just a few minutes.

That's part of why it's resonating online. In a digital landscape overflowing with misinformation, videos like this are a much-needed reset. 

The skit aligns with real-world efforts to empower everyday people, from the Environmental Defense Fund's public education to the work of Climate Adaptation Science Centers. 

Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely 👍 Only in some areas 🫤 Not really 👎 I'm not sure 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Importantly, Rock's approach adds value to conversations that are too often derailed by myths, like the false idea that cold weather disproves climate change.

Meanwhile, federal programs like the Inflation Reduction Act are aiming to tackle the root cause: heat-trapping pollution.

Commenters flooded the post with praise.

"Best explanation I have heard in a while," one said. "Preach!"

Another person wrote, "I like to think of it as climate change = extreme weather. When our bodies are just a couple degrees higher, everything goes haywire too."

Someone else added, "I love this, I feel I learn so much more in a conversational style than a lecture style."

Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.