We've all seen the jokes — "Salisbury is due for between 0 and 79 inches of snow, but who knows?"
These wisecracks may make meteorologists snarl, but they have a basis in fact: Weather on Delmarva is notoriously difficult to predict, thanks to the region's particular geography.
Delmarva weather is sensitive not only to the large bodies of water on either side of the peninsula but also to the Appalachian Mountains to the west and the many wetlands throughout the region, according to NASA.
Away from the equator, global weather patterns are largely driven by ocean currents, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These currents transport warm water and precipitation from the equator toward the Earth's poles and cold water from the poles back to the tropics, helping to keep the entire planet relatively warm.
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