My Coldest Winter ... Ever!
This is by far the coldest winter I have ever been through, and Ive been through 75 of them. Although I cant vouch for the first three or four because I dont remember too much about them. Actually I've only been through 74 of them. This one aint over yet, and the last 3-4 years have brought us some pretty nasty snow storms in March.
Now snow I can deal with, I live in the greater Lake George resort area about 100 miles below the Canadian border, and snow not only makes beautiful winter landscapes, it brings money for the local economy. The skiers come to the Whiteface and Gore mountain ski slopes plus theres miles and miles of groomed Xcountry trails We also have about 300 miles of groomed snowmobile trails that help draw people to the region.
All that brings business to the hotels, motels and restaurants which is a big part of the local economy. It also brings out the State, County and Town snow removal crews. They love it, hours and hours of plowing and sanding roads means hefty paychecks that beat unemployment checks any day.
However this year, although so far we have only had a foot or so of snow accumulate, its been so consistently cold none of it has melted, leaving the trails and slopes in good shape. The problem is its been too cold. Skiers and snowmobilers dont like it much when the temp gets below 5-6 degrees F. And thats has often been the days high lately.
Yeah, weve been in the teens and 20s every once in a while, as long as they are above zero temps its bearable, but when they are consistently below zero temps, it can be a little rough going. I have never seen so many consecutive below zero days ever. Right now its minus 2, up from minus 7. Many nights it been in the minus 20s, one night going to minus 27 (had some pipes freeze that night)
The Up Side
The up side is I don't live in Oymyakon, Russia, where the average temp is minus 58 F.
That lovely place is generally considered to be the coldest inhabited area on Earth. Oymyakon is a two-day drive from Yakutsk, the regional capital which has the lowest winter temperatures of any city in the world. Their record was set in 1924, when it hit minus 96 degrees F.
Ice-encrusted bridge in Yakutsk.(Amos Chapple)
That's a color photo. How do those people deal with all that cold? They drink Russki Chai", (Russian tea) you and I call it Vodka.
Here's one for ya. The frozen ground in Oymyakon makes it so difficult to have working indoor plumbing most toilets are outhouses.(?!) I'm feeling warmer already.
Warmer today. really warmer. It's up to 25 F, and we may get some snow.
According to Accuweather it may hit 40 Thursday!... with more snow (that'll make a nice mess)
Actually that's true. Every Glacial age was precipitated by a period of global warming. The warmer ocean temps cause ocean winds to pickup more moisture than usual, when those moisture laden winds meet the cooler land masses it causes precipitation, much of which is snowin the upper and lower hemisphere. That snow causes the land winds to become cooler and cooler as the snow covered areas spread. The larger snow covered land areas also cause more of the suns heat to be reflected back into the atmosphere. Eventually the whole cycle begins to change to 'global cooling' until the world is eventually engulfed in another ice age.
The question is how much has the 7 billion people, the 10s of thousands of industrial plants, and the 10s of millions of vehicles that were not on the planet before the last ice age, affected the climates natural cycle. The ever increasing extreme weather patterns we'reexperiencing are telling us something is happening, and we need to start planning how we're going to deal with it all.
I think the politically-correct term is "climate change," as opposed to "global warming." Clearly, there isn't a great deal of warming going on in most of the world right now! I have never experienced a winter as cold as this one, either; not even when I lived in New York! I thought I left winter behind when I came to Virginia 24 years ago, but I guess I was wrong. This year's winter here is colder even than the worst I endured in the 26 years I lived in New York. On a media station the other day, a talking-head remarked much to the effect that, yes, parts of the country are seeing record cold spells, but other parts of the country are seeing record warm spells this year.
What I have observed is that all this wild extreme stuff, globally, began happening after that huge tsunami a few years ago wiped out most of Indonesia. Apparently, according to one source it "rang the earth like a bell" and the planet actually shifted slightly on its axis. The shift was permanent, and that is when the extremes in temperature and other weather phenomena began all over the world.
We humans should accept some blame for extreme changes, but we also need to bear in mind that extreme weather patterns occurred long before humans were evolved from single-celled organisms. There were no humans during the last Ice Age, for example. That preceded us by a few years. And, of course, there were no factories or cars during that time, spewing out pollutants. What there were at that time were humongous herds of buffalo and other large mammals belching all kinds of gases into their atmosphere. I think people are just too willing to accept whatever the loudest voices are saying, because it is easier than thinking or actually taking the time to learn something. And it is also easy to lay blame on whatever human endeavor is popular at any given moment, especially those endeavors that favor the wealthy over the rest of us.
As for Global Warming, I think it is time for that phrase to be retired, and that "climate change" should take its place. It is clear that something has changed, although the actual cause of that change is a whole lot less clear. If we are headed for a new Ice Age, then we are headed for a new Ice Age, no matter what we have done or will do. It is a natural phenomenon that would occur whether we humans and our huge egos were here or not. We'd be far better off if we spent our time and resources preparing to survive in that kind of climate, as opposed to crying, "The sky is falling! The sky is falling" all the while doing not a damned thing to be better able to withstand the fallout of that "falling sky."
But... I guess that would be too logical. And our species, for some reason, is allergic to logic. Look at it this way: climate change is always a great topic for discussion on a forum like NT! And I think we are going to have a summer this year, in spite of it all! Eventually.
This is our second mild winter now. I don't think we've had any subzero days all winter. Had lunch outside many times this winter with no coat on and have a pretty good tan for this time of year. If this is the result of climate change I love it.
Jerry....
Strange how the weather is this winter. I live at 1150 ft. elevation on the west side of the Cascades, in WA. Normally, and usually I have between 3-6 feet total, overall through the winter. So far, I cannot remember seeing a snowflake hit the ground.
While climate change may be a factor, and I think it is, I am just grateful for mild weather this winter. Feel sorry for all those
back East who are suffering. Hope the thaw does not cause flooding and further complications. Take care, and be well, one and all
Hi Bitey!
First I want to hank you for reading my log . Then I would like to disagree with you on a couple of things.
IMO, climate terminology should not be labeled as PC or not PC, as Mother Nature knows nothing of politics. However, both terms are scientifically correct, because the planet is in fact warming and its that warming trend that is the underlying cause of the dramatic change in our climate. And yes, many of us are experiencing a much colder than normal winter. But that does not mean the entire world is having the same problem. Right on this page Deepwater Don and Dean Moriarty are telling us about the milder and warmer winter theyre having.
Actually there is a big difference between the climate and the weather. The changes in the climate are global and are causing things such as droughts, and floods, whereas the weather is more localized and causes things like hurricanes and blizzards.
Your reference to the Indonesian tsunami is interesting because although I am aware there are those that say the tsunami cased an axis shift, I tend to go with the larger crowd that say the warming trend is causing the ice caps to melt, which is causing a shift in the earths land an ocean massed. These weight shifts, according to most scientist is what causing the earths axis to shift. It is also causing the earths Teutonic plates to shift which is why we experienced a rash of earthquakes, when those earthquakes occur under the sea, they cause tsunamis.
As far as the human contribution adding to natural the warming of the planet, I cannot quite equate the belching of gases by huge herds of animals to the belching of gasses and other poisonous chemicals emitted by all the industrial plants and vehicles owned and operated by the 7 Billion people that currently inhabit the earth.
Where we do agree is that something is happening and we need to start preparing for what some are calling the coming of a mini Ice Age.
Sun Is Extremely Quiet, Scientists Worry We Are Entering Ice Age
Hi, Jerry! Actually, we aren't that far apart where it comes to our opinions of this climate-change thingy. I even acknowledged right up front in my comment that: "On a media station the other day, a talking-head remarked much to the effect that, yes, parts of the country are seeing record cold spells, but other parts of the country are seeing record warm spells this year." My problem with the term "global warming" is that it makes people think it should be warm right where they happen to be at any given moment. "Climate change" is far more accurate, and allows for the variations and the extremes in different regions.
As for humans being the cause of the projected coming new Ice Age, I still refuse to take the blame for all of it. Ice Ages have been recurrent phenomena ever since the Earth cooled enough to support Life... long before humans existed. Humans are, without a doubt, contributing to, and perhaps hastening, the process, but I am convinced that it would happen even if we didn't exist. Volcanoes are one major contributor to the change in climate, and over the past several decades there have been some very serious volcanic activities, serious enough to divert air traffic for a considerable length of time. Forest fires are another contributing factor, and forest fires, while they are often caused by human carelessness, can also be caused by random lightning strikes. Lightning is going to strike whether we exist or not.
Humans are, without a doubt, a plague on Nature. We are the ultimate destroyers of virtually anything worth conserving. We will ultimately be the cause of our own extinction, because humans seem to lack the ability simply to get along and to try to do what is right, as opposed to what is expedient. I do believe an Ice Age may very well be inevitable, but I also believe that we could, if motivated, take measures to minimize its effect and postpone its arrival. We, however, as a species, are not going to do that. So... we'll just have to deal with it, and add another layer of clothing and some leg warmers to our daily wardrobe.
Oh, yeah... and stock up on snow-removal equipment. We're supposed to get more snow starting tomorrow night... Phooey!
Jerry I spent to assignments at Plattsburgh AFB New York ( I believe 75 miles from Montreal). Memory sometimes fails me. Snow, Cold but beautiful rivers and mountains. Used to fish the rivers and many smaller streams as well as The very deep lake. Great for lake trout and Walleyes. Used to fish along a 110 ft drop off for the Lake trout. Just to danged cold there for me. But wow the trees in the fall the greatest.
As a avid reader all my life and widely varied College course of Study I seem to remember that we are over due for an Ice Age. Scientists now track the deep water circulation from the North and Probably south pole to the equator for temperature and current strength. Ice ages are normally preceeded by Climate change a overall warming. This happens sometimes quickly which would indicate an asteriod strike or large meteor. The deep water flow and temperature are the earth form of temperature regulation. Following a huge temperature change has sometime caused a Change in the poles and polarity of the earth. Now that's a really scary thought. I believe Dowser knows way more about it than I do. I studied the currents and Temperature and as pertaining to Animal and habitat changes all over the world. Where deserts now used to be a rain forest and tropical forests used to be buried in ice for thousands of years. Humans can actualy increase the temperature which would make a huge temperature shift more attainable by volcanic activity or even a smaller metior strike. The one that hit the Gulf of Mexico and south to almost South America was gigantic. It upset the earth whole ecosystem for a very long time. If the Yellowstone Volcanic system were to explode we would likely go into a very very long winter maybe decades. Survival of animals including man would be limited to small pockets or very small well protected eco systems. Will it happen well its certainly part of our earths history if you look back far enough. Unless you believe in the 6,000 year old earth or perhaps they thought the beginning of man was the beginning of the earth. Archeology Anthropology and oops I have to go.
Hi Bitey, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner on this.
Yes, we are in agreement on most of this. Many think the 7 billion people on the plant have zero effect on the planets' atmosphere and climate, and refuse to understand those of us that have a reasonable understanding of the problem do not claim mankind is the sole cause of the planets' ecological,environmental and climate issues.
Hi RMXR,
Your comment shows there are many factors that go into evaluating this climate issue. You're right about the ocean currents. The copious amount of fresh water from the melting polar caps and land glaciers is changing the sea water salinity which is affecting the 'pumping' action that creates the ocean currents.
I'm sure you've read that scientist are particularly concerned about the Gulf Stream being in danger of shutting down due to excessive fresh water. The Gulf Stream is what keeps the Northern Hemisphere temperatures at a relatively moderate level.
I'm hoping that the extremes seen this year, worldwide, will be enough to get those in power to take climate-change seriously and put an end to the horrid practices that contribute to it.
Sigh... I guess I may as well believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy...
At least our lengthy cold snap seems to have ended. For now.
Sorry I didn't respond sooner Bitey, (been working on an off-line project).
I think the Tooth Fairy may be working overtime lately because the PTB are actually beginning to take some actions to deal with the increasingly violent and more frequent erratic weather patterns.
As for the 'deniers', many of those people will keep saying nothing is happening even as they're building their new igloo.
As for the 'deniers', many of those people will keep saying nothing is happening even as they're building their new igloo.
That, at least, got me to laugh! It helps that we're at 73 right now, for the first time in many months! It's just for today. They say tomorrow will see a return to the 50's, which is better than the minus-figures we saw too much of recently! I'm beginning to entertain the hope that we'll get a real Spring followed by a real summer. I won't think farther ahead than that... maybe someone should post instructions on igloo-building that we can study in time for next winter... Hey! Where are the emoticons????
(?!) The seventies??!! We haven't even seen 50 yet, although we may get later this week. I would be happy if it would stay in the 40's for few days.
The ice and snow finally slid off my front porch roof. The ice is 4 inches think and the chunks are so big and heavy they can't be moved. So I'mjust waiting for mother nature to do her thing.
Nasty, nasty winter we've had this year.
Well, you know I empathize. We had a couple of decent days (60's), but right now it is 29. They're calling for a couple of days in the low 70's in the next 10 days, but we haven't had anything like a real Spring yet. For awhile yesterday, Weather Underground was calling for snow on Saturday! Snow! In April! Yes, it is a nasty, nasty winter! Ultra nasty!