539 new snowfall records were also set.
Since we are often treated to lists of record high temperatures when heat waves occur and they are improperly linked to global warming (like in Russia’s heat wave this summer), I thought it only fair that I show the number of record cold and snow records around the USA for the past week that aren’t linked to global warming.
Of course it wouldn’t be fair to show just the lows temperatures and snow, so here are the high temperature records for the USA in the past week.
And here’s just the lows:
The summary of new records of interest for the past week in the USA :
| Snowfall: | 539 |
| High Temperatures: | 18 |
| Low Temperatures: | 336 |
| Lowest Max Temperatures: | 278 |
Lows outnumbered highs by a factor of 19 (336/18=18.6 ~19). That’s quite the cold snap.*
The coldest?
Deadhorse, Alaska, on Sunday, 26 Dec 2010 at -40°F beating -38°F set in 1984
*Note: some people clicking on the interactive map will see different numbers, since that map will record new highs and lows as this post ages. The headline was originally based on 16 highs during the week (see the highs map for a ratio of 21 to 1) then by the time the post editing was completed and the post made, the number of highs was up to 18, giving an 18.6 to 1 (~19 to 1 in the title) ratio. Later in the day the number of record highs in the one week period increased as new weather occurred (on Dec 31) and reports came in. The numbers were accurate at the time the post started. Weather records, like weather itself are dynamic with the forward moving one week period the interactive map generator uses, so please don’t assume error if you click on the interactive map and the numbers don’t match now, or in the future. – Anthony
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So, today it’s 65 degrees in Atlanta. Does that prove warming or cooling? Your headline has confused me.
Asia, too, apparently:
http://funwithgovernment.blogspot.com/2010/12/global-warming-hits-asia.html
From Thailand to Taiwan, India to Indonesia …
Rex says:
December 31, 2010 at 10:19 am
Can someone remind me: what is this ” 1200 km ” figure that’s
been mentioned a couple of times ….. ?
=======================================================
Its probably more easily illustrated than explained. GISS’s anomaly maps have a smoothing radius of 1200 km and 250 km. The one most published and viewed is the 1200 km one. This lends the appearance of good station coverage of the globe. Also, it skews things to an unrealistic view. Click on both links provided and compare. Both maps are made from the exact same data.
Notice first, how much coverage GISS really doesn’t have. Then, for this month, look to South America. But in any given month, see how the project temp coverage where there are no thermometers (none that they use anyway.). Lots of other things to notice too, but that should suffice for a starter kit.
http://data.giss.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/gistemp/do_nmap.py?year_last=2010&month_last=11&sat=4&sst=1&type=anoms&mean_gen=11&year1=2010&year2=2010&base1=1951&base2=1980&radius=1200&pol=reg
http://data.giss.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/gistemp/do_nmap.py?year_last=2010&month_last=11&sat=4&sst=1&type=anoms&mean_gen=11&year1=2010&year2=2010&base1=1951&base2=1980&radius=250&pol=reg
Pamela Gray says:
December 31, 2010 at 7:22 am
That is the best explanation of the Arctic Oscillation I’ve seen yet! I’m visiting relatives in Milwaukee, and it is 52 degrees right now; it will get back to winter normals tomorrow. So I don’t know anything about weather here, other than it gets crazy. I hope you can keep the moose out of your back yard.
Brian H says:
December 31, 2010 at 11:01 am
OT, but I’ve always wondered why people say that (“both”). Could you ever have just ONE the same, and not the other?
“They are the same.”
___________________________________________________________
The same reason folks say “skin rash”. Where else would a “rash” appear? The same is true for “statistically significant” and also any qualifier for the word “unique”. Unique is a dichotomous term…like “pregnant”.
[My pet peeve: “separated out.” ~dbs]
John says:
December 31, 2010 at 11:32 am
So, today it’s 65 degrees in Atlanta. Does that prove warming or cooling? Your headline has confused me.
========================================================
Satire, John, satire. Read the article. Since we are often treated to lists of record high temperatures when heat waves occur and they are improperly linked to global warming (like in Russia’s heat wave this summer), I thought it only fair that I show the number of record cold and snow records around the USA for the past week that aren’t linked to global warming.
Silly Anthony only italicized “aren’t”. He should have known to embolden, as I have done for you. You can view this article as a poke at all of the hyperbole we see in MSM as weather events get trotted out as “proof of AGW/CC/CD/??” Satire with a touch of irony, wrapped nicely in truth.
Rex says: at 10:19 am
“Can someone remind me: what is this ” 1200 km ” figure . . .”
Here is one of several discussions on WUWT. Have a look:
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/07/28/giss-polar-interpolation/
Has anyone looked at the density of weather-stations?
If you have weather-stations significantly more closely packed where the cold records are being set, then you will find more cold records than hot ones, regardless of what is actually happening. With the East coast being heavily populated, and cold, while the hot records are inland and away from the Great Lakes, it looks like this may be happening. I think a fuller analysis may be needed.
Also, warming or cooling, possible danger lies in more extreme temperatures regardless of the presence or absence of a change in the overall average. I see little evidence for global warming, but there may be something actually more dangerous afoot on a large scale.
Pat, TheGoodLocust:
I share your skepticism about the reported highs in SW Oregon, at least as to Riddle. Took pictures up there last summer, look at the gallery and see how close the MMTS is to the building and parking lot. I’d like to know what might have been going on there on Christmas Eve.
Down here in Wolf Creek, it’s been colder’n a mother-in-law’s kiss.
The Weather Channel loves to post the record highs to record lows ratio all of the time, but this stat is strangely absent lately. In their review of 2010, they do post how incredibly hot it has been, though……
James,
Don’t forget the European invasion of Australia.
Maybe someone can enlighten me.
The maps show record snowfalls for: Chinook, Choteau, Flatwillow, Fort Assinniboine, Green River, New Meadows, and Riverton (all in Montana or Wyoming). I had the privilege of visiting each of these stations last year. Only 2 (Fort Assinniboine and New Meadows) show snowboards for measurement in my pictures. It’s possible that some of the other 5 had them in other locations, but I frankly doubt it.
So my question: Where are these snow measurements coming from?
Is it possible that snowfall is being ‘infilled’ from ‘nearby’ sites?
Ralph Stea says:
December 31, 2010 at 10:35 am
Im puzzled by the claim of AGW proponents that global warming will produce more intense storms. A caveat of first year meteorology is that the intensity of mid latitude storms is controlled by the temperature contrast between cold arctic air and warmer southern air masses. If AGW theory is correct then arctic will warm preferentially and a warmer arctic should lead to a reduction of latitudinal temperature contrasts and dampened storm intensities. Ice core records show that during interglacials storms were less frequent and intense. .”
Ralph, you’re only confused because you are thinking scientifically about AGW. You need to think politically in order to be on par with the AGW crowd. Throw the science and logic out the window and just remember that every weather event (every single one) supports AGW BY DEFINITION!
The 539 new snowfall records ARE evidence for global warming. You see, as the Arctic warms, more moisture enters the atmosphere, which causes greater snowfall events to occur. That’s why you always see the worst blizzards during the summer time when the Arctic is the warmest. /sarc
Very interesting interview (audio) here:
http://www.irishweatheronline.com/2010/12/interview-with-iweather-onlines-peter.html#more
It’s from the new Irish web site Irish Weather On line.
Discusses sun spots, Oscillations El Nino Jet streams and Climate change…
EXTRACT from the text on the site with reference to the subject of the last three years’ harsh weather both in Europe and The US.:
“A few years ago mild winters were the norm, but three harsh winters have now culminated in recent record-breaking cold in NE USA and NW Europe. A speed bump in the progression of global warming? Or does the severe cold herald a dip into a sunspot-induced mini Ice Age?
Climatologist and Irish Weather Online forecaster Peter O’Donnell speaks to Fintan Dunne about the weather patterns now ruling and to discuss the prospects for the winter ahead. “
In a nod to another commenter above, I believe what we have is Natural Cyclic Disruption of Anthropogenic Climate Disruption. Which means that when Global Warming returns with a vengeance, it will have to be called Overriding Anthropogenic Vengeful Disruption of Natural Cyclic Disruption of Anthropogenic Climate Disruption. Until the next natural cycle commences and then it will be called Natural Oscillation of Overriding Anthropogenic Vengeful Disruption of Natural Cyclic Disruption of Anthropogenic Climate Disruption. By then we will be on the cusp of the next ice age, which will be called Glacial Age Disruption of Natural Oscillation of Overriding Anthropogenic Vengeful Disruption of Natural Cyclic Disruption of Anthropogenic Climate Disruption.
There. In one fell swoop, I may have brought the two sides together on a title we can all agree on. Ronald Reagan would be proud of me.
The thing many people fail to realize is that there is a cause and effect to global warming man made or not.
When global temps rise so does the evaporation of water, and this is why computer models show us a greater rate of rainfall and snow fall all linked to higher global temperature peaks. This is the cause of these record setting snow falls.
Also, because there are equal and opposite reactions for everything, the coldest of air is drawn down into unusually strange patterns by the record setting highs in other locations creating record setting cold temps too.
Worldwide the record setting highs outnumbered the record setting lows by 2 to 1 for the year 2010.
“Why no mention that Arctic sea ice cover was clearly the lowest ever recorded thru December?”
You could also add the fact that thicker and more robust multi-year ice has doubled at this date since 2008.
Negative anomalies are not allowed and therefore get filtered out by GISS Dr. Jim’s special code.
Our local weather site here reorded Sept to Nov at 0,5C below the long term average with December closing at 3.2 below the long term average. I expect that these figures will be filtered out by GISS.
hotrod ( Larry L ) says: Denver got down to -3 deg F last night…For old timers who have lived through a few of our winters, a really warm day in December is mother natures way of saying check your antifreeze in the car, put the snow tires on, fill the gas tank and run to the grocery store, as it might be subzero tomorrow….”
Been there, watched the natives put on their bald snow tires and drive like maniacs. I blamed it on hypoxia–their brains weren’t getting enough O² at that altitude. One iced-over morning, I saw a Ford station wagon that was all the way up a telephone pole guy wire at the corner of Quincy and Yosemite, nothing touching the ground but the rear bumper. It took me 3 hours to get home one night in a snowstorm. I decided to leave Denver after the first hour. Snowed in June, there, too. Nice people, but I’ve never regretted leaving Colorado.
Glacial Age Disruption of Natural Oscillation of Overriding Anthropogenic Vengeful Disruption of Natural Cyclic Disruption of Anthropogenic Climate Disruption..
GADNOOAVDNCDACD……..catchy!
frank, I assume you are being sarcastic. Or 10.
I love Colorado, being a native, but our wonderful La Nina autumn just came to a screeching halt yesterday. From balmy 50 degrees on Wed to a high of 10 F today, but only a few inches of snow so still dry as a bone. We had wind chills of -15 last night – brrrrrr! The mountains are much worse with multiple feet of snow every week and -25 to -50 F wind chills forecasted for tonight.
We usually wait until the Stock Show for these kind of temps.
I don’t know if we had a low max temp today but we reached a high of 18 F which equaled the historic average low for this date. Nice weather for North Eastern Arizona.
As Bertrand Russell might have said:
It all depends on what you mean by ‘warming’
and in similar appreciation of how lanuage is used to influence
our thinking, I look forward to some claim about the Antarctic
having had its ‘hottest’ year
If 250km or 1200km represent limits of extrapolation from an individual
temperature station, then that may apply in continental land masses, but
certainly does NOT apply where I live … New Zealand. Here, you could
not legitimately extrapolate beyond 20km … and I’m not joking. That is
why the NIWA “Seven Key Stations” data cannot be used as claimed by
officialdom.