What Happened To Winter?

Above-Average Temps Have Northeast, Midwest Wondering If Autumn Ever Ended

(CBS/AP)  January in the Northeast and Midwest is typically noted for dreary days of cold, blowing snow and bitter winds, notorious for crushing post-holiday cheer. However, the weather so far this winter, with temperatures consistently in the high 50s and 60s, has left many people wondering if autumn ever ended.

Washington D.C., New York and Chicago all have had temperatures nearly 20 degrees above normal this winter, reports CBS News correspondent Cynthia Bowers. Minneapolis and Philadelphia have enjoyed 27 straight days of above-average temperatures.

CBS News correspondent Sharon Alfonsi reports that the high temperatures have been messing with Mother Nature’s calendar.

Birds are migrating south later, and some Southern birds have taken up residence in the North, permanently. Plants in Washington, D.C., are flowering four days earlier than they did 30 years ago, loggerhead turtles are coming ashore in Florida 10 days earlier than they did 20 years ago, and male frogs in New York begin mating season two weeks earlier than a century ago.

According to CBS Early Show meteorologist Dave Price, the warm weather can be attributed primarily to El Nino and a jet stream that is so far north that it is locking out the cold arctic air that usually sweeps into the U.S. from Canada.

The El Nino, which is abnormally warm water in the Pacific, "affects everything from winds to what kind of weather we will experience in different parts of the country," Price said.

He added that a Bermuda high, an area of high pressure of that forms over the Atlantic during hurricane season, has whipped up moisture and warm air toward the Northeast.

Meanwhile, British climate scientists predict that a resurgent El Nino climate trend combined with higher levels of greenhouse gases could touch off a fresh round of ecological disasters — and make 2007 the world's hottest year on record.

"Even a moderate (El Nino) warming event is enough to push the global temperatures over the top," said Phil Jones, director of the Climatic Research unit at the University of East Anglia.

The warmest year on record is 1998, when the average global temperature was 1.2 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the long-term average of 57 degrees. Though such a change appears small, incremental differences can, for example, add to the ferocity of storms by evaporating more steam off the ocean.

There is a 60 percent chance that the average global temperature for 2007 will match or break the record, Britain's Meteorological Office said Thursday. The consequences of the high temperatures could be felt worldwide.

While the warm winter temperatures won't garner many complaints from residents in the eastern half of the United States, heavy snowstorms in the Plains regions and tornadoes in the Southeast have caused major problems for thousands of Americans.

Two people were dead after reports of tornadoes touching down during a strong cluster of storms in southern Louisiana, authorities said Thursday. And more than a week after a blizzard blasted Colorado, a a new snowstorm was forecast for Friday.

While the effects of El Nino are varied and often volatile, they also can do some good. El Nino tends to take the punch out of the Atlantic hurricane season by generating crosswinds that can rip the storms apart — good news for Florida's orange growers, for example.

"The short-term effects of global warming on crop production are very uneven," said Daniel Hillel, a researcher at Columbia University's Center for Climate Systems Research. "I warn against making definitive predictions regarding any one season's weather."

[one_american]

There must be a sinister cause of this phenomenon...

Maybe Al Gore has been driving his SUV around too much. Or maybe he is releasing too much methane into the air by giving too many speeches.

But Global Warming can't be all bad; just look how the cost of heating oil is dropping!

[bildooreilly]

Hey One American, I think Occidental Al Gore accidently left his windows open and his furnace turned on in that big 10,000 sq ft mansion of his before he jetted over to europe to promote his movie... that's what's causing it... Maybe we could ask him to turn one of his giant air conditioners on and cool off the planet a little...

[one_american]

bildooreilly:

It's entertaining to hear Al Gore talk sometimes.

It's like watching the sequel to the movie Forest Gump.

[bildooreilly]

On a more serious note, this planet is going to go through some big changes in the next 5 years as we ramp up to 2012 and enter the new age... this is all related more to the Sun and planetary events than anything else. This has all happened before, remember everyone was partying while noah was building his ark? If you look at the bible more closely, the book of revelations is not the end times, it's the end of an age. Right now we're at the end of the age of Pisces and the entire zodiac is about to start over in the age of Aquarius... This is why you see Jesus written inside a fish on the back of cars etc.. because the fish represents the age of pisces.. This has all happened before, remember god told adam and eve to "replenish" the earth.. which suggests the earth was populated at one time before... myself I think something big is coming, and I think the upper crust that run our country and the world know it too, and they've had us all being busy little beavers preparing it for them...

[bildooreilly]

Now I'm not a Christian, but I do think the bible and other religious books do hold some clues... The Son of god is the SUN of god, and the SUN is about to complete its revolution around the milky way and align with the galactic core, or galactic center, you can look this up... Also at the same time according to a 2001 article you can find on CNN the earths magnetic field is weakening at an ever increasing rate. Scientists say it will totally weaken and a reversal will take place and it will build itself up again... Well folks, a reversal is a pole shift... this whole planets going to flip upside down and the meek who are left will be given a new heaven and a new earth...


Revelations Chapter 21
6And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Aquarius is the water bringer, the man with the jug of water, the water of life....
http://www.yahwehsnewkingdom.com/Aquarius.jpg

[bildooreilly]

One American, do a search on yahoo or google for "Al Gore Gore Vidal" and you can find Al Gores cousin historian and author Gore Vidal telling the "inconvenient truths" about Occidental Al Gore... it's a great read...

Ignorance is a blessing.
Anyone else up there that is perhaps concerned about warming up of the planet, devastating weather and all the consequences of it to the mind kind?
Let the ignorant "prophets" and Bible experts that just yesterday called Jesus and have all the answers, to keep living in ignorance. They will not understand anything ever .... still looking for answers in a book written 2000 years ago by people who could not even envision car, or vacuum cleaner, or airplane ... or stratosphere, space, universe ...
Maybe we should call "Cinderella"? She may have some answers to the warm weather? what, Cinderella does not exists? Said who, science? Just have faith man!

[jimfinster]

bildooreilly:

I hate to "bust your bubble," but the earths magnetic field has changed many times in the past 4.5 billion years.

This is well known by any geologist, please go read any intro geologic textbook to see how it works. Sorry, the planet did not flip "upside down" during those occurences. The meek will need to find another hobby for now :)

[jimfinster]

shamick2:

Good one. As a scientist, I read these posts with great amusement.

[bildooreilly]

Shamick, I'm not a religious person. The bible is heavily based upon Astronomy.... Astronomy is SCIENCE... if you don't think the SUN effects things here on earth then you're a fool.. Even the electromagnetic frequencies coming from the Sun can effect peoples thoughts, this is why they've been studying electromagnetics for use in depression etc. You can go look it up... if you don't think the Sun effects the weather then you sir are a fool... Go look at the mayan calendar, it ends Dec. 24th 2012, Dec. 25th was originally the rebirth of the SUN... it marks the day the sun starts heading back towards the northern hemisphere after winter solstice.. There's some major planetary events coming up and they will effect us all, so don't be so close minded about things... you're just as bad as the bible thumpers you hate...

[bildooreilly]

Hey Jim, has the earths magnetic field totally destroyed itself in the past 1000 years?

[dumbfounded6]

You people make fun and laugh now, but when your childrens children are dealing with the mishandling of this world then you won't be around to be blamed will you? Go to googleearth.com and take a look at the ice cap. It won't be long bfore it's completely gone. Polar bears are drowning or starving to death everyday because the ice cap is shrinking. I wouldn't care if the movie was made by Howdy Doody as long as it opened some minds up. Ignore the planet just like you did your teeth and it will go away.

[clestes-2009]

Global warming is going to be the biggest problem facing us this century.

[phil-in-fin]

Tv shamick2

You said,
"They will not understand anything ever .... still looking for answers in a book written 2000 years ago by people who could not even envision car, or vacuum cleaner, or airplane ... or stratosphere, space, universe ..."

Huh?

Truly, you have no idea what you are talking about.

The Bible teaches how to live a moral life, regardless of what people say or do to you.

"Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with this question: 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' Jesus replied: '"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbour as yourself."' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments%u2019 (Matthew 22: 34-40).

What is so ignorant about this? To learn to like everyone and to treat everyone with respect?

If your "god" is money, power, work, and/or pornography so be it (my "gods" used to be all these things before I became a believer); don't laugh at what you do not know.

[xfredmenzies]

Hey, Ms Couric, is this really news?

[bildooreilly]

While I don't disagree with the fact that much of the earth is getting a bit warmer, the fact remains there's still no proof that it is caused by human beings. Myself I believe it is caused by the Sun, and it isn't really "global" warming since some parts of the earth aren't warming up.. Russia for instance had its coldest winter in decades last year... if you do a little research you'll find the northern magnetic pole is moving and it's headed toward guess where... Russia.. There's a lot more at play here than us mere humans driving cars, and the earth has been warmer in the past.

[bildooreilly]

Also the UN did a report awhile back that found most of the pollution in the world is caused by third worlders cooking with dung... but lets blame americans instead, they're a great scapegoat...

[jimfinster]

bildooreilly:

You are chock-full of fascinating factoids. Keep them coming!

[jimfinster]

"Hey Jim, has the earths magnetic field totally destroyed itself in the past 1000 years?"

Not at all, bildooreilly. I just ran out in my year with a compass to check. It is still there! Whew...

[jimfinster]

er, I meant "yard."

[bildooreilly]

Hey Jim, since you're a geologist and all, and have all of the answers maybe you can answer this question that's been puzzling me for years. How did the incas create the the architecture at Machu Picchu with stones weighing as much as 500 family sized automobiles???? How did they move these immense stones around... Thought you might be able to answer it since you're a rock expert and all...

Hey Jim did you try calculating that with the square as well when you had your compass out???

So jimfinster, what do you think? Global warming or "natural" phenomenon?
I am not a scientist and I'm trying to be objective so while my "gut feeling" tells me it is global warming (Hey,thank God I am not a president, we would be booming earth now! :-)) I am open to reasonable (not books from 2000 years ago or other childish stories please) arguments that it is NOT global warming.
Here is why I think it is.
- Just about 60-80 years ago, humans did not consume nearly as much oil and did not produce nearly as much gases ... We have experienced tremendous warming since then ... (the argument is not if it is USA or whoever, the argument is that it is happening!)
- Just the fact that occasionally we had warm days in the past (records of those almost every day shown on TV by the weather Person) is not the same as observing constant day by day warming up of the weather.
- Also, just because in the past thousands of years ago (more than 2000 ... but many digits! :-)) there were warm periods is different than experiencing such rapid (10-50 years) warming up?
If it was natural, it should be much more settle ... taking around 2-3,000 years?

Heck, let me put my signature here ... that will make all nothing but the truth to some
(Shamick 01: 00-40)
:-)

[jimfinster]

bildooreilly:

Your Inca question is EASY.

Space aliens assisted with anti-gravity transporters. Geez, I thought everyone knew that.

[markbrookhar]

The simple solution to global warming is just to have everyone in the US and Europe to turn on their air conditioners, open the doors on all refrigerators and freezers, and open the windows all at the same time on the same day. The resultant cooling effect should lower the temperture the one degree average it has raised since 1954. It would also help to have a world-wide one day moratorium on running all automobiles and truck engines, and finally... (yes, I am just kidding)

[bildooreilly]

The real question is where was all the global warming propaganda in 1998???? Why did it take them so long to get all the fear mongering out?

From the Article...

The warmest year on record is 1998, when the average global temperature was 1.2 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the long-term average of 57 degrees.



Jim, I'm not buying your space alien theory with the Incas, sorry.

[emtak1]

At this point, I think, it may be somewhat irrelevant why this is happening. Its preety likely that human beings have absolutely zero control over it.

Be prepared for anything. Mother Nature is on a Jag. By her own doing. By ours. Or a combination.

Oh, and come stop by the beautiful Niagara Riviera, where it has only snowed once this winter, and it is 40+ today.

Panama City, eat your heart out. : P

[yourpointis]

bildooreilly, you are cracking me UP!!!!

Hey Jim, what about...

Jim, Jim, Jim....

:)

[emtak1]

As to Machu Picchu

It has been demonstrated that such stones could have been moved along the Inca's formidable roads by laying down wooden rollers (tree trunks) and pulled by a small team of men.

The Incas were humble enough to use a little sweat and ingenuity to comepsate for a lack of huberis and book learning.

[emtak1]

bildooreilly:

But where what we get all that oil to power the plants to power the AC? : O

hmmmmm...theres a lot of coal left

And we could invite all teh Mexicans in to Mine it for us....

[bildooreilly]

Emtak, I'm not buying the roller theory for a slab of stone that weighs as much as 500 family sized cars, sorry... Have you ever seen Machu Piccu? It sits at the top of a mountain... next you'll tell me they rolled these giant stone slabs up the mountain. Just because some scientists hypothesize something doesn't mean I have to believe it, lets see them recreate it.. and roll some giant stone slabs up that mountain by their methods, I don't think it will work myself....

[bildooreilly]

Well you know Emtak if global warming was caused by pollution then warm weather would really help reduce the pollution of heating millions of homes wouldn't it? I'm all for the enviroment, and keeping things natural and not ruining everything, but these "Enviromentalists" have turned it into a communist agenda to make me put a carburetor on my lawn mower than I run once a week for a half hour in the summer.

[emtak1]

I think they did recreate on the history channel or something.

I done seen it!

[emtak1]

I think environmentalist are gonna have more than they can handle this year.

Unfortunately many environmentalusit, I think, don't have a real understanding of what it it to live in nature (rural America)

Im an environmental-advocate, but I've also been a hunter, trapper, fisherman...

When it comes to being a bad ***, Mother nature can have moments of pure mercilessnes that I continue to have diffuclty getting my head around, even after 30 years as a woodsman

But she is beautuful too. Too many environmentalist focus only on her beauty alone, and maybe forget teh reason why we developed all this technology in the first place.

[jimfinster]

shamick2:

The earth has warmed and cooled many times in the past. These obviously were natural events caused by various mechanisms like changes in the earths rotation and orbit, solar variance, volcanic activity, etc etc.

However, the current warming trend is clearly caused by greenhouse gases created by man. There are multiple lines of evidence that converge on this conclusion.

The human population was able to grow to the current 6.5 billion largely because of optimum climatic conditions. That is, an abundance of temperate locations to live and produce food. Climate change is a big deal because we have pretty much maxed out resources under this ideal environment. So just a little climate change (either hotter or colder) will likely have some unpleasant effects on water supplies, food production, ecosystems, etc.

Will we survive it? yes
Will it be painful? yes

[bildooreilly]

That's cool Emtak, I'd like to see it myself, then I'd believe it. I live in rural america as well and agree with you about the "enviromentalists." Also most of these "enviromentalists" are hypocrites themselves, I don't see them going without heat or air conditioning or computers or anything else for that matter. They're just as guilty as everyone else....

Now don't get me wrong, I love nature, I like to hike and fish in the state park near here, I like to grow my own vegetables, and I don't go around throwing trash out the window or anything like that.. But that doesn't mean I have to accept these "enviromentalists" communist agenda...

[jimfinster]

bildooreilly:

The space alien explanation is not a theory. I have talked with them directly about it. For a small fee, I will introduce you to their leader.

[bildooreilly]

Also you never hear the global warming screechers and the "enviromentalists" say anything at all about the arial spraying that's going on everyday all over america that some call Chemtrails. I live in the path of the jet stream and before any weather front comes through I can go for a drive and see entire squadrons of military planes up there spraying stuff into the atmosphere. Fact is our weather is being manipulated. There was a weather guy who was basing his weather predictions on the chemtrail spraying and he was getting the weather right almost every time. He spoke up publicly about how he was doing it and of course lost his job because of it. Don't believe me, start looking up in the sky more often. A normal contrail evaporates fairly quickly behind a plane, these chemtrails hang around all day and turn into greasy looking clouds. I've even seen some low ones where you could see particulate matter falling out of them... So what are they spraying on us in this top secret project? And what are they trying to achieve?

[bildooreilly]

Hey JimFinster, take me to your leader.. hehe

I'm happy that I have not assisted in bringing more people onto this earth. The naysayers can all argue that there is no such thing as global warming but when they finally figure it out it probably will be too late. I will be surprised if humans will still be able to survive on earth in 200 years. I'll be long gone but all your grandkids will be enjoying a rapidboil.

[williamfold]

i have to ask those who don't believe in global warming or aren't quite convinced that it's real, do you really want to gamble that it's not real? seems like a lot of people are placing a bet that they can't pay up if they lose and the collector comes.

chamgreen102, I guess you will not have to worry about your grand kids being a virgin.....

[madumpty]

"communists", oh right, your a twit. A lot of us environmentalists have lived in and grown up in the country. A BIG reason we are having the problems we are (and they are many-educate yourself) is because of yahoo's like you who would rather call people names than be willing to make small changes for the greater good.
Humans ARE changing the weather..and not for the better.
Warming the weather causes any number of awful changes to farmers around the world, reducing heating bills is about the silliest thing I've heard anybody say.

Posted by bildooreilly
I live in the path of the jet stream

Hey stupid!!! We all do!! It is not just over your house!! What....are you in the second grade? The jet stream changes daily, no matter where you live...

An your comment about military spraying...well I am here to tell you that the military does not own any crops that I know of, nor do they spray

Posted by bildooreilly
There was a weather guy who was basing his weather predictions on the chemtrail spraying and he was getting the weather right almost every time. He spoke up publicly about how he was doing it and of course lost his job

Well I am sorry that you lost your job, but that is what happens when you are an idiot

[jimfinster]

Hey, play nice.

[phil-in-fin]

To shamick2

Speaking of childish stories, what do you believe in?

Yourself?

[wolf563]

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THIS PLANET . WATCH THE INCONVENIENT TRUTH . IT WILL OPEN YOUR EYES TO WHT IS REALLY HAPPENING IN THE WORLD TODAY .

[nothappyatall]

I LIKE this warm weather, if THIS is globalwarming man, then I say le't burn a few more thousand tires, freon tanks and whatever else and crank it up a few more degrees. NO snow/ below freezing temps in Dec/Jan so far is a real treat :)
Only 10 weeks till spring, and every day like today's 41: is another day closer to spring without the headache or heating costs.

[reality1013]

We all can gripe about things. But what causes global warming? Among other things, Plants intake carbon dioxide and expecl oxygen as a by-products. Just about every living creature on earth intakes oxygen and expels carbon dioxide.
So the manicured lawn you have, after cutting down the trees to clear the lot has added to the problem, overcrowding in developing countries compounds the problem since they cut down the rain forest to make room for housing. The paper you use at work and home comes from a tree somewhere.
The burning of our fossil fuels adds to the problem. Gasoline, natural gas, wood, and coal. So who is willing to give up their car and ride a bike or horse to work? Who is willing to keep warm by solar heat or water powered electricity? How will we keep cool? We may not have to address these issues but our great grandchildren will. So who amoung us is willing to take the first step and ride a bike 10 miles to work every day?

[jimfinster]

reality1013:

It will take big, bold efforts to deal with this issue. We are talking national & international efforts. Riding your bike ain't going to do it.