Posted on 02/10/2014 1:36:03 PM PST by CedarDave
For Alaskans who have basked in record warmth, Atlantans who abandoned cars during a January snowstorm, or Californians enduring drought, this winter's extremes have been nothing if not memorable.
Drought or unusual warmth is in sync with the effects that climate scientists expect from global warming. But what about wintertime invasions of Arctic air into the US Deep South or into China, where, a new study indicates, record cold events became more frequent over the past 10 to 20 years?
For some climate scientists, January's extremes and the atmospheric patterns that nurtured and sustained them are fresh bits of information to apply to these intriguing questions: Has global warming's effect on the Arctic set the stage for persistent weather patterns that lead to extremes? If so, is the decline in Arctic sea ice the stage manager for the wintry events?
Nearly two years ago, two researchers identified atmospheric features that appear to tie a warming Arctic to mid-latitude weather extremes. Since then, when persistent weather patterns have brought drought or heat waves or repeated invasions of cold air to usually mild locations in winter, these links to the Arctic have become a go-to explanation among many commentators and policymakers.
Researchers working on the issue, however, caution that while they are uncovering intriguing hints of this tie-in, it is far from ironclad.
Nor is it merely an arcane debating point. If the proposition holds up, in principle it could help improve seasonal forecasts for temperature and precipitation.
"That would have huge economic implications," says Cecilia Bitz, a climate scientist at the University of Washington in Seattle who specializes in the role that Arctic sea ice plays in the climate system.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
I invite others to post links to the Arctic summer sea ice graphics that show this past year the ice extent recovered from the retreat of the previous year (2012) and even that shrinkage was not all that different from documentation earlier in the 20th century before the age of satellites.
Of course, the cold weather has nothing to do with it being winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
That's where he lost me. I guess he doesn't want to be confused by the facts. Did the idiots trying to sail the Northwest Passage last summer ever break free of the ice?
Ahhh . . . what “warming” is this?
Once the first warming moved into the Arctic all of the cold moved to the suburbs.
From the reports I've seen, it has been unusually warm this winter in Alaska and unusually cold in areas to the south (polar vortex). This would seem to indicate a shift in climatic conditions (maybe the jet stream or something else), which may be short term, or could last for centuries - who knows. My guess is that as cold as it has been in the South this winter, it will probably be a blazing hot summer come around May or June.
Some enterprising pseudo-scientist will probably write a book and get a big fat grant to study this.
The arctic is so warm that the cold air has to flee south to get away.
This winter is annoying, not weird.
Do people expect every Jan/Feb to be in the 40s and snow free?
Wait until it hits 90 in August. They will be back saying THAT is “unusual” too.
Exactly. The world is getting colder because its getting warmer.
These people need to be locked in a room with Joe Bastardi for as long as it takes.
the question arrives with the premise, that “occassional” (not every year) variations from any preselected set of years, were never occassional variattions which occurred in any earlier preselected set of years
it would have everyone think that ONLY now for some “new and manmade reason” does Alaska have such a mild winter occassionally and only now does Atlanta have such a cold winter and only now has both those things occurred in the same season, and never before was there ever a season when it happended - which to believe that would be hogwash
http://www.wunderground.com/blog/weatherhistorian/snowstorms-in-the-south-an-historical-perspective
Aye mate. We live in a “solar system”. The sun controls the climate on ALL of the planets in that system. A small flare-up on the surface of the sun causes all kinds of repercussions on our little speck here 93 million miles away. I am getting so sick of this crap from people looking for grants and politicians looking for power!
The inter of 1973 into 1974 was like this one, only they didn’t call it a ‘polar vortex’ then. But it was warmer in Delta Junction Alaska than it was in the Dayton Ohio area for at least a two week period beginning right after Christmas.
My husband was doing engineering work on helicopters that required very cold temperatures. He was stuck in Alaska waiting for it to get cold enough to do the necessary testing for the project.
I think the Alaska party is over.
Fairbanks forecast low tonight is -45F.
There was one day last month when it was warmer than my vacation spot in Destin Florida, though.
To teh cult of globull warming, EVERY weather event is “proof” of globull warming whether it be drought or flood, heat wave or blizzard, hurricane or mild weather.
Unfortunately while the ice did grow/not shrink greatly this summer, all these Polar Vortexes are taking much of the cold away from the Arctic which means the Arctic sea ice has not been growing as much as it normally does this winter.
If things don't change soon, when the annual Arctic maximum sea ice extent is reached in another month or so, it might be smallest one observed (since satellite coverage in 1979).
Which of course means non-stop coverage by the media and fraudsters. They will of course ignore or downplay the 100 other things they got wrong (Like the Antarctic being a record extents)
Whichever explaination can keep their government funding money flowing, or whichever explaination sounds best to market their ‘green’ products.
Hipsters spend billions on ‘green’ lifestyle. ‘Green” is an industry. Gotta keep the fear up to keep the money coming in.
You have to admit, their move from “global warming” to “climate change” when things stopped warming was very adept.
Now any friggin weather anomoly is covered.
Yep...
You can read an article one year that says “Heavy hurricane activity linked to global warming”
The read another article the next year that says “Slow hurricane activity linked to global warming”
HURRY!!! GO BUY SOMETHING THAT SAYS ‘GREEN’ ON THE PACKAGE!
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