It's already one of the coldest and snowiest starts to the winter season in parts of the Northeast, Midwest and Plains, and we haven't finished November yet.
According to the Accumulated Winter Season Severity Index (AWSSI) from the Midwest Regional Climate Center, 74 cities from New England to the Plains and Rockies have seen an extreme season-to-date of cold and snow as of Nov. 27.
[...]
Cities categorized as having an extreme winter, so far, ranked in the 99th percentile of the index for Nov. 27.
A combination of persistent cold from the Northeast to the Plains and a pair of expansive winter storms, Avery and then Bruce, gave this winter season a fast start.
Solar cycle 24 was exceptionally weak and cycle 25 is shaping up to be similar. Some have predicted that, if the trend continues, Earth may experience a "mini ice age" soon due to increased cloud formation reflecting the warming light from the sun: https://astronomynow.com/2015/07/17/diminishing-solar-activity-may-bring-new-ice-age-by-2030/
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Thexalon on Friday November 30 2018, @03:17AM (7 children)
The clear intention of the summary, what with its talk of another little ice age, is "It's snowing a lot in November, so anthropogenic global warming isn't happening." Which is total nonsense, for two reasons:
1. Global climate and local weather fluctuations aren't the same thing. And it was just announced to day that 2018 is expected to be the 4th hottest year on record [usatoday.com]. Anyone who is trying to use local weather to contradict those global observations is either a complete idiot, or being deliberately misleading.
2. One of the predicted effects of global warming was that places further south than normal would get hit with arctic blasts and thus more snow. especially in New England [nationalgeographic.com].
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2) by legont on Friday November 30 2018, @03:35AM (1 child)
Cool! I love warm weather and alpine skiing especially where the high paid jobs are.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Friday November 30 2018, @03:53AM
The point about skiing is particularly important: I grew up in New England, and still have family there. Ski resorts are a major part of the economy, and they are definitely not miserable about all the snow.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 30 2018, @04:02AM
Is there a reference for this colder winter and more snow prediction from before 2018? And really the point is to warn people to watch the next sunspot cycle. If the peak is lower than the last in 5-6 years when it is supposed to peak start preparing for crop shortages and colder temps. This is ancient technology.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 30 2018, @05:11AM (2 children)
What is so mind-boggling is that we cannot reliably predict the weather 4 days from now, let alone a month from now, or if the next upcoming winter or next summer will be hotter or colder than 'normal', yet so many people treat global warming predictions centuries and millennia from now as religious doctrine. Why?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 30 2018, @05:24AM
People love doom/fear porn. As long as you can get the right amount of agreement from consensus, then that subset of scammers who enjoy "expert" status pile on, you can get people to pay attention. Same thing over and over.
(Score: 1, Offtopic) by khallow on Friday November 30 2018, @07:44AM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 30 2018, @08:42AM
You know, if they keep adjusting the historical figures to make 'this year is the hottest year on record' it won't be long before the crusaders went to the Holy Land on ice skates.