Last year the Northern Hemispheric snowcover was the second highest in the NOAA snow history back to the mid 1960s. It trailed only the legendary 1977/78 winter. It fell just ahead of 2007/08, pushing it to third place. The winter of 2002/03 dropped to fourth place and the bitter winter of 1978/79 fifth.
All through last winter the snowfall was above normal from the end of the first week of December through the third week of March.
The pattern will continue cold across the western parts of Canada, much of United States and across Eurasia. A strong blocking high pressure will push back from the North Atlantic to the Davis Straits. Snow will be heavy along the edges of the cold air and near the unfrozen Great Lakes where many feet will accumulate. More bitter arctic air – perhaps coldest since 1894 is forecast for the UK.
Looks like a White Christmas in many areas much like last year.
See PDF here. White Christmas forecast coming.
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Will this be the year the ice sheets start their march?
😯
<:-(
😉
Very good info. Maybe we could compare the northern and the southern hemisphere. Afterall, global means….not to leave any unturned stone.
I do recall some record of snow on the ground on all lower 48 states (US) last year. Also, the southern hemisphere suffered some spectacular winter conditions. Not to confuse weather with climate, however; when coastal marine gradually cools/warms the climate is still coastal marine with changes in average temps.
Ahaaa!!! I just realised why Hansens November anomaly is so far off the other three data sets.
He has a thermometre smack bang in the middle of that warm anomaly between Canada and Greenland as shown on the GFS ensemble.
He then extrapolates that to the rest of the Arctic sub-Arctic regions. Brilliant
Having just gotten a foot of snow in six hours and a forecast for rain and snow mixed over the next week – color me decidedly “un-merry.”
Sort of related (I think); this time last year, the Denmark Strait looked like it was going to freeze over completely, but it didn’t.
It might make it this winter – although if I feel good about this, I’m not sure why.
http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/9832/arcticseaicesome004.png
Googled this too:
According to The Little Ice Age: How Climate Made History 1300 – 1850 by Brian M. Fagan:
“Between 1680 and 1730, the coldest cycle of the Little Ice Age, temperatures plummeted, the growing season in England was about five weeks shorter than it was during the 20th Century’s warmest decades.”
“Conditions around Iceland were exceptionally severe. Sea ice often blocked the Denmark Strait throughout the summer. In 1695, ice surrounded the entire coast of Iceland for most of the year, halting all ship traffic.
What is this snow stuff that you are all talking about? Just played 18 holes today in shorts and a short sleeve shirt at 75 degrees!
Believe me, I know – having suffered through the 1977/1978 blizzards in upstate New York and New England.
TVNZ’s main news tonight (Sunday, New Zealand time) had three interesting articles on it. The first was the news that the Scottish Minister for Transport resigned after admitting that the Govt. hadn’t done enough to prepare for the calamity of too much Globull Warming causing mayhem. The minister was quoted as saying that the cold weather was unpredicted! Teach him for relying on British Met forecasts?
The second item was on the bitterly cold weather hitting 28 states of the U.S. right now. One person complained of being able to handle a foot of snow, but having to dig your way out of your home was just too much. See, humans can adapt!
The 3rd item was courtesy of the BBC regarding the outcomes of Cancun. Veteran announcer Peter Williams had as a backdrop an ocean view filled with as many tall iconic buildings etc such as the Eiffel Tower, sticking out from the water to ram home the consequences. If the BBC were meant to be balancing their coverage of this topic then this must be classed as a blast from the past, just like the current NH weather!
Peter Williams, consumate professional that he is, kept a straight face throughout. The casual observer eating their evening meal surely can’t help but see the dichotomy of the supposed threat of global warming will mean to us, while so much of the northern hemisphere is being hammered by the opposite of what the CAGW crowd have continually predicted.
Lots of early snow in our mountains this year too.
On The Great Divide Trail
This is great. I think it very important to the economy of the southern states for us northerners to have a normal winter every now and again. Keeps all of my gray haired contemporaries spending their dollars down there.
You wouldn’t believe what it’s like on CO slopes this year…
Mark
“By the year 2012, snow will only be found in museums.” The Weather Clown
Dear Dr. D’Aleo,
the labelling of your first figure is slightly off, it is not “inches” for the vertical axis, but is is millions of square kilometers.
Werner Weber says: “Dear Dr. D’Aleo, the labelling of your first figure is slightly off, it is not “inches” for the vertical axis, but is is millions of square kilometers.”
The chart is correct within climatological accuracy standards.
I wonder if AlGore and his mates are skiers If thay are I bet thay wear a balaciava
I could not help but notice that of the 12 years with highest snow cover, 2 were in the ’60’s, 4 in the ’70’s, 3 in the ’80’s and 3 in the 2000’s. None in the ’90s!! Could this be a metric for warming in this region?
It’s been mentioned before on this blog, but it was in 1978 that the Leonard Nimoy TV ‘In Search Of’ series produced ‘The Coming Ice Age” featuring amongst others the redoubtable Stephen Schneider (as himself).
Australia also has been experiencing ‘interesting’ weather which, to this old coot with just enough working synapses left to remember, is reminiscent of the 70s.
http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/awap/temp/index.jsp?colour=colour&time=latest&step=0&map=maxanom&period=3month&area=nat
http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/awap/rain/index.jsp?colour=colour&time=latest&step=0&map=anomaly&period=3month&area=nat
(The temperature maps refer to 1971-2000 average while, for some obscure reason, the rainfall maps refer to 1961-1990 average).
Will the global temperature c. 1974 – c. 1984 mystery period ever be solved?
http://hidethedecline.eu/pages/posts/the-perplexing-temperature-data-published-1974-84-and-recent-temperature-data-180.php
Weather is not climate….everyone knows that but no one can help but be influenced by it. Weather like this really helps in keeping the public opinion somewhat sane.
Here in Australia the south east of the continent is having one of the wettest years on record. Subsequently our daytime temperatures are down. In Canberra last year we had 21 days above 30C and two of almost 40C in November and December to date. We have yet to have a day over 29C this year. Pretty much like the early 1970s. Forty year cycle anyone?
>>Will this be the year the ice sheets start their march?
And the glaciers too. The snow remained in Scotland this spring/summer, through to June, which is the first time this has happened for a long time.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10238296
It would only take a few winters where the snow remained all year, for small glaciers to start in Scotland. And if they can start there, they can start/extend elsewhere in the north.
I’m with Andrew on this one; I’ve been in the outback for weeks & it’s still quite mild (and wet too – matter of fact i’ve been flooded out)
Here on the east coast it’s summer… and i’m still wearing jeans & long sleeves most days…. Sitting here in shorts & T-shirt at the present, thinking of rugging up a bit :s
There once was a Professor Jones
who was known for his too-frequent moans
that the snow and the ice
meant the temperatures rise,
feeling it to the core in his bones.
[very good! ~jove, mod]
Sub-surface water in the central and eastern Pacific has remained cooler than usual during November, says BoM, with central areas more than 4°C cooler than usual.
Back to back La Nina may be more common during a cool PDO, which would produce more winter snow in the US?
Heard on the news that in Minnesota some festival was cancelled due to the snow; first time in 19 years. Weather really doesn’t cooperate with climate, does it?
There once was a juggler called Mann
juggling data in front of his fan;
then performed the great trick:
hitting them with his stick,
sent them safe into his frying-pan.
It seems it was a first in a long time. If it happens again next June what will the Warmists say. “It’s caused by global warming.” Yaaaaaaan!