An unusually chilly March day and the snowstorm it spawned have shut down much of official Washington on Wednesday — including a hearing House Republicans had called to examine global warming.

“Postponed due to weather,” read the notice from the House Science, Space and Technology Committee sent in the morning.

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The hearing was scheduled to give House lawmakers a comprehensive briefing on how well scientists understand the climate and humans’ effects on it as a means “to inform decision-making on potential mitigation options.”

SPECIAL COVERAGE: Energy & Environment

While the federal government reports that U.S. temperatures have been ticking up in recent years, freak cold snaps and storms often leave average voters questioning whether global warming is a real phenomenon.

SPECIAL COVERAGE: Energy & Environment

The average high temperature in Washington for March 6 is 52 degrees, with a record high of 81 degrees in 1961 and a record low of 10 degrees in 1888.

SPECIAL COVERAGE: Energy & Environment

Scientists argue that individual events are “weather,” while the broader trends constitute climate — and they say the trend there is clear.

SPECIAL COVERAGE: Energy & Environment