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People used to think that references to global warming in the context of a contradictory, local weather event were just chit chat. Now people find out that some folks who complain about a cold snap in relation to global warming — or the temporary lack thereof — may be serious. It's important to understand that climate and weather are different. Weather refers to temperatures, precipitation, and storms on a given day, or perhaps several days, at a particular place. Climate reflects a long-term average, sometimes over a very large area, such as a continent or even the entire earth. A disruption of the Gulf Stream by remote events attributed to global warming could chill Europe substantially.