ASK A METEOROLOGIST: 'Age of extreme weather' started 20 years ago

Wisconsin Dells Events ^ | Jan 27, 2016 | Jeff Smith

[gorush]

After last weekend’s East Coast blizzard, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said “we’re in an age of extreme weather.” I’ve been studying and forecasting the weather since I was 12 years old in the mid 1970s and have come to the conclusion that I agree with de Blasio.

I’ll add to de Blasio’s comment that not only do I think we’re in an age of extreme weather, but I think that “age” started more than 20 years ago when Hurricane Andrew hit south Florida in 1992, followed by the “storm of the century” in 1993. Perhaps some could counter with stories of bigger storms prior to 1964 when I was born, but most meteorologists concur that that the last 20 years or so has brought an unusual number of devastating weather phenomenon compared to years prior.

The last several months have been a good example of wild weather that has hit the U.S. October brought historic flooding to South Carolina while record high temperatures hit the northern part of the country in December, including a spring-like 58 degree record in the Dells on Dec. 14. Tornadoes in Texas in December claimed nearly a dozen lives, followed by more deadly tornadoes in Florida recently. California was then inundated with record rainfall breaking an historic drought, and of course the super storm that slammed the mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Saturday and Sunday.

[NorthMountain]

Extreme? I'll give you the Great Tornado Outbreak of April 3 1974 for "extreme" ...

I think that was more than 20 years ago.

[lacrew]

Think about it...how many large (Cat 3 or higher) hurricanes have hit the US in the last 10 years?

None.

This guy is ignoring the world around him.

[Nailbiter]

I remember 67 snow in northern Illinois- then the snow in 79, followed by the cold in 79 or 80.
In the early 80’s I experienced the largest temp change on record , if I remember correctly was 70 degrees in 24 or 36 hours, went from=m mid fifties to below zero, but my memory of those times is not what it should be

As they say in the midwest do not like the weather wait 5 minutes.

Cannot control the weather so why not have fun instead

[bgill]

In the 1970s, my science teacher said we were heading into a mini ice age. Which is it, a mini ice age or globull warming? I haven’t seen either.

[libertylover]

Twenty years or even 100 years is nothing; the earth has been here for BILLIONS of years.

[shooter223]

We have always been told that the Great Lakes were formed when glaciers receded. Why did they recede? Global warming? I wonder how many eeevil SUVs and coal-fired power plants were around at the time.

[steve8714]

Deepest snows in St Louis in the 50s and a big tornado.
Anecdotes are worthless.

[AustinBill]

And don't forget the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, which is still one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history.

[steve8714]

That’s why a meteorologist 51 years old works in the Dells.

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

what extreme weather are they referring too?

[equaviator]

The summer of 1988 was a scorcher in SE Michigan. Not a green blade of grass anywhere by August except for fairways and greens at some of the best-kept golf courses.

[Made In The USA]

Stealing, and horribly paraphrasing, from Mark Steyn:

1. Exactly what percentage of climate change is caused by man. How many degrees?

2. What was the weather like when the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth rock?

[driftless2]

The biggest blizzard/snowfall in my area (western Wisconsin) occurred in 1959. The worst flood occurred in 1965.

[Jack Hydrazine]

Didn’t the Internet start around that time? It certainly has caused the political climate to change here and abroad and the elites are scared.

[gorush]

"How old is the meteorologist?"

I'm not sure, photo at the link. More people look like youngsters to me every year.

[JoeFromSidney]

As soon as I read about the "warmest year on record" (by a tenth of a degree), I stop reading. It's nonsense.

I recall some very big snowstorms in the 1940s and 1950s, when I was growing up. I'm not saying all snowstorms were that bad back then, but there were a few that stand out in my memory. Snowdrifts up to the edge of our barn roof. My rural school canceled because the buses couldn't even get out of the school bus garage, let alone get through the roads. Later, knee-deep snow on the soccer fields at my university.

Not just snowstorms, but tornadoes in northeast Ohio, with the National Guard and the Naval Reserve out guarding the damaged buildings, and the volunteer fire department providing coffee and sandwiches to the displaced people.

We've had some bad weather before this.

[Robert DeLong]

Hmmmm, that’s a tough one. Let me think about that for awhile. /sarcasm

[pilipo]

what extreme weather are they referring too?

The extremely dry and hot diurnal winds blowing in the nations Capitol.

[Albion Wilde]

ping

[gnarledmaw]

"It was in the 1880’s. I always wondered if this was the recollection of a half starved, sleepy child."

Of course, I wasn't there but...

In this part of rural Wisconsin there are still quite a few old houses around, the original part of the one Im posting from was built in 1860.

On some of these older homes, especially as one approaches Door County, many have a back door on the second floor. There is no evidence that there ever was a balcony and there are ladders attached to the house, many appear to have been there just about as long as the house. These ladders usually start at the upper door and go down to the top of the first floor and stop. Many of these houses are old brick designs so its pretty evident when there have been repairs/removals/additions because the source of bricks changed causing obvious color differences, these places don't have anything to suggest that there was anything other than a ladder there so these builders were planning for something.