Is global warming to thank for this mild winter?

[clockworkgirl21]

Or not? Because I know we've been having mild winters every so often since the dawn of time. A lot of this country at least has had very light snowfall, and it melts within one day. Of course it's early yet, we could have blizzards into March/April, but I can't remember the last time we didn't have any snow at all on the ground in December.

[Dragon Zachski]

I remember when we first moved to Wisconsin.

The first two winters were mild.

And then the next several winters were heavy snow.

And now it seems to be back to mild, with temperatures climbing high enough to melt the snow.

I think it might be cyclical. Though global warming is most likely pushing this cycle upwards.

[Mlle Antéchrist]

I doubt it's the sole causative factor but it could be playing a part, at least when it comes to the milder temperatures.

As for the lack of snow fall: Climate change can actually cause an increase in heavy blizzards, along with other forms of violent weather.

[Rime]

It's something I like to bring up to climate change deniers. You'll have to worry about increased hurricanes and tornadoes before planting banana crops in Newfoundland.

My wife likes to comment that 500 years ago there were people raising crops in Greenland so the climate change must be normal. My answer to that is "So what do you think the weather was like then since they still can't do that?"

[Vene]

I kind of wonder how they plan to grow bananas during unprecedented (in human history) droughts.

[Oriet]

Yeah, climate change is to blame for the shifting in weather. Not entirely, as there are other local variables and standard regional effects that still factor in, but overall most certainly. One of the effects happens to be a shift in the jet stream, which will affect regional temperatures.

Another effect is that warmer air can hold more moisture, which when combined with warmer temperatures also causing more evaporation means there's more moisture in the air to precipitate. When it's below freezing this of course comes down as snow. Many climate change deniers love to claim that because some regions are having more snow it's obviously colder and thus disproves global warming/climate change. This is patently false, as with my reasons above, but it doesn't stop them from coming to the erroneous conclusion that more snow means colder weather.

Warmer temperatures also means more energy in the atmosphere, which also translates to more hurricanes, tornadoes, and other weather phenomenon. Vene will be able to explain it in more detail, but that is the overall gist of it, at least.

[Wykked Wytch]

Every winter in Seattle is rather mild. We barely even get snow.

The East Coast, on the other hand...

[Rime]

Jan 1, 2012 10:51:02 GMT -5 Oriet said:

Yeah, climate change is to blame for the shifting in weather. Not entirely, as there are other local variables and standard regional effects that still factor in, but overall most certainly. One of the effects happens to be a shift in the jet stream, which will affect regional temperatures.

Another effect is that warmer air can hold more moisture, which when combined with warmer temperatures also causing more evaporation means there's more moisture in the air to precipitate. When it's below freezing this of course comes down as snow. Many climate change deniers love to claim that because some regions are having more snow it's obviously colder and thus disproves global warming/climate change. This is patently false, as with my reasons above, but it doesn't stop them from coming to the erroneous conclusion that more snow means colder weather.

Warmer temperatures also means more energy in the atmosphere, which also translates to more hurricanes, tornadoes, and other weather phenomenon. Vene will be able to explain it in more detail, but that is the overall gist of it, at least.

I'm not so sure it needs clarification, it's a nice concise explanation, Oriet. What's more is you've also included a reason why I shy away from using global warming as a term. Although it is slowly getting warmer, they usually go running to some story about colder weather somewhere else that proves it's not happening. Long before we'll be able to grow tropical fruit in Ontario, there's going to be a huge elevation in severe weather.

Vene, I'm pretty sure the whole idea of the raising crops in Greenland was to point out that global warming is natural, cyclical and that human activity is not having an influence. This was before the kinds of evidence that has been compiled since then.

[Mlle Antéchrist]

It annoys the hell out of me when deniers treat natural and human-influenced climate change as being mutually exclusive.

[Oriet]

Jan 1, 2012 15:51:35 GMT -5 Mlle Antéchrist said:

It annoys the hell out of me when deniers treat natural and human-influenced climate change as being mutually exclusive.

Same. It's especially problematic as the data shows that without human influence, there'd be global cooling.

[MaybeNever]

Jan 1, 2012 12:33:12 GMT -5 Wykked Wytch said:

Every winter in Seattle is rather mild. We barely even get snow.

This has been an oddly warm, dry winter, though. I'm not saying it's global warming or anything like that, but this has been a bit unusual.

[Ian1732]

I heard that El Nino (sp) might have a part in it.

[Vene]

Looks like it's La Nina instead (link).

During December 2011 - February 2012, there is an increased chance of above-average temperatures across the south-central and southeastern U.S. below-average temperatures over the western and north-central U.S. Also, above-average precipitation is favored across the northern tier of states, excluding New England, and drier-than-average conditions are more likely across the southern tier of the U.S. (see 3-month seasonal outlook released on 17 November 2011).

[Sigmaleph]

Niño. Niña.

That'll be all.

[Vene]

Jan 2, 2012 21:37:53 GMT -5 Sigmaleph said:

Niño. Niña.

That'll be all.

...I'm going to do horrible things to you in my sleep.

Like harvest your spleen.