As the snow piles up over the Northeast, it is clear that global warming or climate change has caused this storm. Please take the opportunity to write up a prospective/perspective article as comments and I will combine them into the most coherent narrative for the folks at the New York Times or Washington Post to use in their newspapers. Note, you may use anonymous sources or experts in the field to come up with testimony. You may/should probably include anecdotes from storm-weary travelers who have never experienced anything like this before. Also, bonus points will be awarded to those that incorporate climate model predictions, which are almost always spot on when it comes to “forecasting” these “extreme events”. We will compare our efforts to what the elites ensconced in Washington, New York City, Boston, and London come up with.
Note to the blog police: this exercise is meant to be illustrative of the contortions that the media on both sides of the Atlantic have undergone to rationalize “winter weather”.
So far, Wade has set the standard for best journalism.
Update December 29, 2010: Time Magazine does not disappoint: blizzard is a sign of global warming!
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Breaking news:
Senior climate scientists in a climate research unit at a World renowned university have demonstrated in a recent peer-reviewed paper (soon to be published) that the apparent disappearance of heat from the Earth’s climate system contradicting the fact that CO2 is progressively trapping heat, can be explained by “coolth” a hitherto theoretical phenomenon, now supported by indisputable evidence from their computer modelling. “Coolth is to warmth as anti-matter is to matter.” said the Professor leading the team.
“As the Earth gets hotter, a complex and previously unrecognised climate-forceback mechanism turns heat energy into coolth,” he continued, ” which is radiated upward causing drastic cooling of the troposphere, stratosphere but more importantly the heliospigosphere a new layer discovered during our research and predicted by our computer models.”
“We just knew the heliospigosphere must be there but it wasn’t until was programmed one of our models to locate it that, sure enough, it turned up right where we hoped it would be.”
According to the Prof it is the heliospigosphere which is the vital factor in absorbing the coolth and getting colder and heavier as it does so, until eventually it sinks downward – the team call this the Inverse Heliospigospherical Effect (IHE) -towards the Earth’s surface chilling all upon which it settles.
This then explains how the global warming which everyone agrees is still happening is in fact responsible for the icy weather of late.
Once all the coolth has settled, it will be annihilated by rising global warmth, to put global warming back on track.
The Professor says the team’s computer models leave no doubt that global warming is even worse than was previously thought.
Really ! 🙂
Geoff Sharp says:
December 26, 2010 at 9:59 pm
rbateman says:
December 26, 2010 at 8:59 pm
Try this one; http://www.stormsurfing.com/cgi/display_alt.cgi?a=glob_250
the N.H. tropopause map animation (hindcasts) on here are very good;
http://www.pa.op.dlr.de/arctic/index.html
The hole in the Arctic Ice is caused by global warming, which makes the Arctic expand at the rate of 100 Manhattens a week. That’s why you got all the snow – yep, this is just what we expect to happen.
The blizzard is nothing to do with the weather or the climate; it is just a late Christmas present from Santa to the Deniers and ergo is totally separate from the weather, and the climate and will be removed from future statistics. The blizzard has no bearing whatsoever on this, the warmest year on record. In fact just ignore it because it’s not really there. Any disruption caused by this ‘snow’ is purely imaginary.
My goodness, Pamela. I wrote my little snippet out of complete sarcasm and yet it is almost word for word in that article you link to.
The NYT piece is a keeper.
And remember folks…
The reality is, we’re freezing not in spite of climate change but because of it.
Should we get a more regular Winter next year it will be fun watching them contort their way out of the pit they currently digging.
They told me that if I voted Republican, snow would be a very rare and exciting event. They lied!
I cannot find any evidence that global warming caused light, medium or heavy blizzards prior to 1975. Why should it be the cause today? Why is weather being used as evidence of climate?
and
and
The NE blizzard proves:
1. Meteorologists need something to write about.
2. It can snow on land.
3. It usually snows on land in the winter.
4. The heaviest snow usually occurs when storms brewing over the sea hit the land.
5. The 1996 storm in Boston was not unique.
6. 1 ft in New York is more important than 17ft in Mammoth.
7. Piers Corbyn won a bet.
8. The BBC weather predictions for the past week were crap.
9. Both warmists and skeptics will seize on this event for their own purposes.
10. That the GISS temperature record has nothing to do with extreme weather events.
11. President Obama made the right decision to go on holiday to Hawaii.
We just had the first white Christmas since 1947 in Charlotte NC. Unprecedented in my lifetime. We must do something about climate disruption. White Christmases are NOT NORMAL!!!!
David L says:
December 27, 2010 at 3:02 am
Yes they do believe the average person is that stupid, and they are right unfortunately 🙂
Here is some info on Judah Cohen who wrote the NY times piece.
There clients include EPA, Penn State University, NOAA, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, NASA, NASA Jpl and others. His piece is no surprise.
http://www.aer.com/aboutUs/clients.html
Geoff Sharp says:
December 26, 2010 at 11:56 pm
Current EUV figures are not far above the minimum figures that were recorded 2 years ago at cycle min and they are still dropping since February this year. The height of the Thermosphere is at the lowest measured which supports the instrumental data. There is no doubting that EUV levels are very low right now.
The height of the thermosphere is the combined effect of EUV and geomagnetic activity and the latter was low. EUV levels ‘right now’ are on par with what they were in 2007 and larger than at the previous minimum. The error in EUV level is between 6 and 20%.
They’re starting to go into panic mode over this over at RC:
Cold winter in a world of warming?
Note also the response:
(my bold)
So much for scientific debate, eh?
[ryanm: how pitiful that this term is still used. what happened to the “no labels” crowd stuff going on at the NY Times and with the liberal elite? ]
A weather update from western New Hampshire.
About 12 inches of snow on the ground here, with more coming this morning. Totals will likely top 15 – 20+” by the time it’s over. Along with the snow will be winds of 20 – 30 mph. Luckily I have the day off from work! :^)
And now, a blast from the past for the CAGW types (and you know who you are…) who like to criticize WUWT for focusing on cold weather events:
Snow Melts, Industry Feels Heat
…
As average global temperatures rise, America’s $4.5 billion ski industry is taking notice. (NSAA) “If we don’t have snow, our whole economy is dead,” said Isaacs about the resort town of Mammoth Lakes, adding, “Everybody is hurt.”
…
All of this is priedicted by the climate models.For the less edumacated [is this helpful?] of you, it may help to look on the earth as a sunbather. We have long wondered where the hidden heat has gone. Since 1998 we should have seen no temperature increase. When the sunbathers back gets to hot she flips over and puts her stomack to the sun. The experts know that yhe oceans have just fliped over to alpw their cooler waters to also warm. The fact that this happened so fast meens that it is much worst then we thought.
Hey, I’ve suddenly realised. All those ice-ages. They were caused by Global Warming. How stupid of us not to see it before. It must have been all those mammoths and sabre-tooths f**ting too much. Once the mammoths and sabre tooths died out the ice-age ended.
Whatdya think. That must be worth a Phd surely?
No surprise to that Cohen op-ed, he’s in the business of inducing fear of the weather. If businesses and governments aren’t terrified of the oncoming “armageddon”, then they won’t get paid consulting fees in how to prepare for it.
http://www.aer.com/
I don’t understand the sneering at the agw crew because the local weather is cold. Isn’t everyone agreed that the planet as a whole was warmer in 2010 than it has been since whenever?
There may be other reasons for sneering at them, but a blizzard in the Northeast US isn’t one of them.
“Northeast Snow Storm Blamed on Rising Sea Levels”
(NY) – A renowned climate scientist today revealed that the recent heavy snow in the Northeast was directly attributed to rising sea levels. Dr Lysalot, a climate expert, explains why. “ First of all, we must understand that when sea levels rise, the atmosphere is compressed. For example, if you were to trap some air in a container half filled with water and then added water from the bottom, the trapped air above would increase in pressure. So it is with our atmosphere, rising sea levels compress the air above.” The good Dr continued, “It is a known fact that this compressed air has a higher pressure due to the compression. At this higher pressure more CO2 is forced into the sea therefore removing it from the atmosphere. And we all know that less CO2 in the atmosphere cools the planet.” When asked what the solution could be, Dr Lysalot stated “ We must find a way to get rid of the excess sea water, perhaps changing the Earth’s orbit to move it closer to the Sun would allow for extra evaporation of the sea water”. There has been no coast analysis for this solution but it is being hailed as a “natural” method by environmentalists across the globe. A PayPal tip jar has been set up on the Dr’s website for those who want to help fund further research.
rob m says:
December 26, 2010 at 7:58 pm
Judah Cohen explains it all for us. I wasn’t sure at first but I actually think he is serious.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/26/opinion/26cohen.html?_r=1&ref=opinion
“As global temperatures have warmed and as Arctic sea ice has melted over the past two and a half decades, more moisture has become available to fall as snow over the continents. So the snow cover across Siberia in the fall has steadily increased.
The sun’s energy reflects off the bright white snow and escapes back out to space. As a result, the temperature cools.”
Mr. Judah Cohen, Ph.D. of AER (Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc.) must be a hard core climate denier in disguise.
The mechanism he is describing, to get extreme chill via warming, is a strong negative feedback loop of the finest kind.
From the New York Times Blizzards Becoming More Frequent Because of Global Warming
Heavy snow fell as far south as North Carolina thanks to a rare Nor’easter forming on the east coast. Although Nor’easters have existed for some time, they are becoming more frequent and new computer models from the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies. “We already know that Nor’easters are extratropical cyclones with a cold core,” said Dr. James Hansen, an expert climate scientist from the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies . “We also know that global warming causes more cyclones.”
Usually, Nor’easters form just off the Virginia coast and do not affect North Carolina. This Nor’easter was different. Like the so-called Blizzard of 2000, this one formed around the South Carolina/North Carolina border. The Blizzard of 2000 dumped 18 inches of snow in Raleigh, North Carolina. At one point, this 2000 Nor’easter actually formed an eyewall. With this Nor’easter, Raleigh only saw 6.5 inches of snow whereas towns east such as Selma, Wilson, and Rocky Mount saw 12 inches of snow. At one point, the northbound lane of I-95 had to be shut down in Selma because of the snow according the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. (link) Dr. Hansen continues: “Not surprisingly, 2000 was one of the hottest years on record, further highlighting the connection between global warming and east coast blizzards.” (link)
Such are the dangers in the new global warming world. Heavy snow is uncommon in North Carolina, but even in areas where snow is a yearly event can expect more disruptive Nor’easters. The Sunday night football game between the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles was postponed until Tuesday because of the blizzard. Parts of New York and New Jersey have recorded over 2 feet of snow. “I just want the weather to be like it was when I was growing up,” stated long time lower Manhattan resident Alan Smithee. “We never had anything like this until the past several years.” Jane Q. Public, another Manhattan resident stated “I just want the weather to be like it was when I was growing up in the 80’s. I don’t how much more I can take of this strange weather.”
But why does global warming cause more blizzards? Meteorologist Dr. Jeff Masters states: “Although well-populated areas are seeing colder temperatures, this is an aberration because most of the northern hemisphere is actually much warmer. Global warming causes more blocking high pressure systems which concentrate large amounts of heat over a large area. This winter, a blocking high just so happened to form over Greenland. This pushes the arctic air over Britain, Ireland and over the heavily populated east coast of the United States. Since global warming causes more cyclones, it was really only a matter of time before the two events linked up.”
Can we expect another blizzard in the next winter? Dr. Masters continues: “We don’t know. It all depends on where the blocking high forms next winter. If it forms to the west, these Nor’easters will be pushed out to sea and the east coast will have a very warm winter. If the blocking high forms to the east, there won’t be enough cold air except in the New England states to cause a blizzard at all. The rest of area affected by a Nor’easter will only get heavy rain.” Dr. Masters expresses a high level of confidence in blizzards becoming more frequent because these increasingly frequent blocking high pressure system must form somewhere and sooner rather than later it will form over the same area.
One common message all climate experts agree on is that just because it is cold where you are at does not mean the earth is cooling. Dr. Gavin Schmidt, also of the NASA Goddard Institute of Space Science, explains: “Overall global temperatures are increasing, it just that the few isolate pockets of cold air just happened to be where many people live. Even in Las Vegas, you get lucky sometimes. But, like Las Vegas, you have a far greater chance of losing than winning.”
Dr. Schmidt concluded: “Nature always throws a curveball every once in a while. But all the computer models agree, just because blizzards are more frequent does not mean global temperatures are falling. These blizzards are because of global warming, not in spite of it.”
John Doe is the director of seasonal forecasting at an atmospheric and environmental research firm.
All of this can be explained by the highly sophisticated computerised Global Climate Models (GCM)
There are a number of these GCMs but despite years of Government underfunding and little attention from the MSM, they do their job fantastically well!
What do they do, I hear you ask. Simply put, they predict the future climate with incredible accuracy. Climate Scientists are famously shy and modest and would have substituted the word ‘project’ for my ‘predict’ but that’s Boffins for you!
CGMs can be fed with almost any type of data and still churn out great results. Thanks to the ingenuity of their inventors you don’t even need to worry about the quality of that data. The program takes care of all that silly detail that less- gifted Scientists, in other disciplines, agonise over.
The algorithms or programming tricks that do the hard stuff are top secret of course. We wouldn’t want the financial sector to get their hands on this, would we?
With the agreement of an anonymous Nobel Laureate, after whom the term ‘algorithm’ was coined, I can reveal a few details.
It’s all to do with something called Quantum Physics and Probability. There’s hundreds of books about this but the one that I would recommend is “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy”
The thing that I like about it is that it’s also out on video which makes it easier to read!
Apparently, in Quantum Physics, everything can happen at the same time or not, probably.
I don’t particularly understand it but the details are all in the book.
Traditional computing methods can never solve tricky things because if you feed them the same data, they just give the same output as before, unless you hit the off-switch with your knee of course.
That’s not true of the way GCMs work. They all give different results, even with identical inputs! Genius. Run them lots and just about any result you want will eventually turn up.
All of the Climate disruption,that we’ve seen recently, has either been predicted by at least one of the GCMs or will be shortly.
Why weren’t we told about all this Global-warming, cold-stuff happening before it happened, I hear some of you asking.
Simple. We didn’t want to scare you!
Conservative climate has been replaced by an intense progressive global climate disruption, carefully and managed by centrally planned robust models.
rob m says:
December 26, 2010 at 7:58 pm
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/26/opinion/26cohen.html?src=me&ref=general
The link above bypasses the registration firewall.