Guest post by A. Scott
Even though we all know “weather is not “climate,” that rarely stops CAGW’s fiercest proponents, so we might as well have a little fun with it as well. This weekend is the 2013 Minnesota State Fishing Opener. And the joke around these parts is the most important equipment a fisherman needs this year is …. an ice auger.
Minnesota, like much of the country (as reported at WUWT here) is currently undergoing its own ‘little ice age’ with record late season snows (18″ in southeastern MN a week ago) and cold, and near record ice out dates on the State’s lakes. Lakes in the southern third of the State saw ice outs approaching new records and many lakes in the northern half of the state are still ice covered today.
“Lake Minnetonka” in the Mpls/St. Paul area finally saw ice out on May 2nd, which easily could have been extended to May 5th or 6th had the 18″ snowstorm moved about 40 miles to the West. The Freshwater Society history shows 134 years of ice out dates for Lake Minnetonka, going back to the mid 1800’s. Median ice out for Lake Minnetonka over the last 150+ years is April 14th. Only 3 years – 1856, 1857 and 1859 – saw later ice out dates than 2013.
The story is more fun as you travel to central and northern Minnesota. Outdoors writer and photographer Ron Hustvedt wote today in a story in the Star Tribune:
In 30-plus years of fishing the mythical Minnesota walleye opener, I can safely say I’ve never seen ice on my favorite lakes this late in the season. It’s been close a few years but never like this and, according to the record books, only a time or two like this in the last century.
The picture above isn’t just a random ice auger shot – its real, from earlier today. Here’s another … 
Please do not try this at home – these guys intimately knew the area, were well outfitted with life preservers and safety gear, and never ventured into areas more than a few feet deep.
In another story, from Thursday, the Star Tribune’s Doug Smith notes:
Some of Minnesota’s most popular fishing lakes are expected to be iced in on Saturday’s fishing opener — an occurrence not seen in perhaps 60 years. Ice reportedly is still 2 feet thick on some northern lakes, and … major lakes from Lake Mille Lacs north … still could be mostly ice-covered Saturday. “There will be substantial ice cover on the northern third of the state,’’ said Henry Drewes, Department of Natural Resources regional fisheries manager in Bemidji. “It will not be gone by Saturday. This is certainly the most significant late-season ice cover I have seen in my 25 years with the DNR.’’
Some great live pictures from MN lake webcams at www.mnlakecams.com
Oh, and it was snowing earlier today in Duluth, MN. On May 11th.
And here’s what you really came to see – a live, active “glacier” – a moving wall of ice – a ‘little ice age’- right here, right now, in Minnesota today 😉 …
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Has anyone measured the temperature of the ice?
It may well be really really hot ice, dozens of degrees above the temperature of normal ice because that is what global warming does. It defies laws of physics.
So actually this PROVES that global warming is real and I will be applying for a government grant to study it.
I am tempted to apply the /sarc tag but that would only tip off the warmists and spoil the fun.
Expect to read about hot Minnesota ice on the BBC soon.
Living in and having grown up in the Canadian prairies I have always weighed heavily upon the number of frost free days as the measure for the type of spring, fall, and summer we have had. It’s the one that worries me the most, not the occasional misfortune we may experience with a severe hail storm or heavy rainfalls and windstorms. Yeah, those are just weather events, some are terrible in their destruction but, when it comes to knowing that the world has enough food to eat, when we loose those frost free days, that keeps me up at night. I wonder Anthony, is there a readily available record of the number of frost free days the northern hemisphere experienced over time? It would be a darn fine way to see a cooling/warming pattern I’d think.
1. Warmists will scoff at stories like this until they literally cannot.
2. “Denier” is not a nice word, for several reasons. One of them is that it has a funny way of boomeranging.
I guess we could say Spring is coming to Minnesota … at a glacial pace … 😉
Anyone for taking bets on when the first article blaming these late ice outs on global warming will first appear???
I recall a few sayings from my travels to Minnesota:
“There are only two seasons in Minnesota; Winter and Construction.”
“I sure hope summer comes on a weekend this year.”
“Minnesota has two seasons, winter and two weeks of hard sledding.” (or is that one from Winnipeg?)
🙂
I hadn’t seen that phenomenon before. The same person put up the “after-math” (sorry, but my guess is that she’s blond). See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pqo49arRlGw
Glacier seems like the wrong word. Ice tsunami seems better, though there’s no earthquake involved, just wind blowing old ice around.
Starting with 1976, in most years I have heard of record cold and
snowfalls somewhere, even often somewhere in USA, almost every
year.
In think this is mostly because localized or regional weather extremes
of century class, especially if qualified by time of year, are common –
especially in USA and nearby parts of Canada.
I remember a time in the early 1970’s when in early May it snowed in
northern/western parts of Philadelphia, especially where elevation was
around/over 200 feet. There was even a May snowstorm sometime in the
1800s when most of northwestern Philadelphia got 4 inches of snow in
early May.
Furthermore, I remember a newspaper blurb sometime in the 1970s for
Philadelphia going through its 1st-ever March in about a century with no
weather records being broken.
Of course you are correct Ric … but its much more fun to call it a “glacier” and twist the panties of certain types all in a knot … same reason to call it a ‘little ice age’ … 🙂
Come on, you’re still not getting it. Repeat again, after me: this is exactly what is expected under CAGW scenarios. This is exactly what is expected under CAGW scenarios. This is exactly what is expected under CAGW scenarios.
Remember that whenever any weather event or statistic is mentioned. It’s the only correct answer.
We had something similar happen near where I live in Michigan.
http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/weathermatrix/another-ice-surge-sends-chunks-flying-into-homes/18409
Yes. Well I now see clearly why Minnesotans might fancy a little AGW. I doubt they are going to get it though.
Still look on the bright side. Before mechanical refrigeration the trade in ice was a major industry: for instance by the 1880s the UK was importing over a million tons [Imp] a year chiefly from Scandinavia and New England and all carried by sailing ship.
Surely here is an opportunity for a new Green Industry exporting the ice to save on refrigeration to hotter places. All it needs is a large grant from US Gov. After all think if the jobs in created in cutting the ice, moving it and carrying it in sailing ships. Not to mention the ice [store] houses needed for keeping the ice through the summer. Many of which are still to be seen in New England.
Ah well even Greens have their dreams.
But not me. I prefer refrigeration.
Kindest Regards
Huge wall of ice on Manitoba lake demolishes summer homes
”We are creating a prehistoric climate in which human societies will face huge and potentially catastrophic risks,” said Bob Ward, policy director at the Grantham climate change institute at the London School of Economics and Political Science. ”Only by urgently reducing global emissions will we be able to bring carbon dioxide levels down and avoid the full consequences of turning back the climate clock.”
So says the SMH Australia.
This statement could be read that the prehistoric climate will return now CO2 is at 400ppm.
Perhaps in the light of this cold snap, he really means the usual state of glaciation./
But, but, but… Garrison Kieller said Minnesota doesn’t have winters anymore. Quick, somebody take him along on a fish’n trip.
Get the best guide in Minnesota to take him and any of his lefty buddies. Then when hopelessly lost with supplies running low, Garrison will whine, “I thought everyone claims you are the best guide in Minnesota.” Tell him, “I am, but now I think we’re somewhere in Manitoba.”
Then when he’s not looking r u n n o f t and leave him there.
Bruce Foutch says:
May 11, 2013 at 9:14 pm
I recall a few sayings from my travels to Minnesota:
“There are only two seasons in Minnesota; Winter and Construction.”
“I sure hope summer comes on a weekend this year.”
“Minnesota has two seasons, winter and two weeks of hard sledding.” (or is that one from Winnipeg?)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
No, Winnipeg has four distinct seasons:
1. Almost Winter
2. Winter
3. Still Winter
4. Road hockey
Again, just for balance, down here in Australia, we are experiencing continuing temperatures some 1.5C above the long term average for this time of year, as we head into winter.
And its glorious weather. Cool mornings and evenings, yet during the day is really nice, sunny, almost like a mild summer day, but not quite.
I apologise that we seem to have borrowed your warm temps for a while.
Any bets where Roy’s May temp will sit ? I’m still thinking marginally below April..
Ah come on that is all wrong. Global News in Vancouver BC interviewed some expert last week that the 2 weeks of record breaking weather they where having was from “climate change” It was on Global News so it must be right. sarc off.
Quote:
“Even though we all know “weather is not “climate,” that rarely stops CAGW’s fiercest proponents, so we might as well have a little fun with it as well.”
It appears A. Scott did not get the memo from the Climate Commission’s “Angry Summer” in Australia, where weather IS NOW climate:
“A few years ago, talking about weather and climate change in the same breath was a cardinal sin for scientists.
Now it has become impossible to have a conversation about the weather without discussing wider climate trends, according to researchers who prepared the Australian Climate Commission’s latest report.”
http://www.theage.com.au/national/climate-change-a-key-factor-in-extreme-weather-experts-say-20130303-2fefv.html
The ice out dates are really cool. So Apr 14 is the median? 2000 and 2012 are 2nd and 3rd earliest dates in the last two weeks of March; after 1990, only 6 out of 23 years are behind the median, 1993 1996 1997 2001 2002 and 2008; I didnt bother to figure the exact prob, but the chance of that happening by chance is way less thann one in 20.
But the freak, 2013, is evidence of an ice age?
So I am guessing that, in fair play, you are allowing the media hyping last summers record hot spell evidence of global warming, a pass? Cool.
nc,
If what you are experiencing is really a change in the climate, its in totally the opposite direction in what they have been proselytising for the last ‘n’ years.
If climate is changing then it is totally natural. Climate has, and always will, vary, and we have been on Earth for such a short time that we really have no idea what Mother Earth can bring forth.
We, in the current lifetime, have experience but a tiny fraction of what she can do.
After seeing this video I can understand why Elmer would prefer global warming.
I have to wonder if there was some local, who’d been around for decades, that warned about building in those places because of the ice incursions. It’s sort of like, ‘Don’t build in the flood plain because, well, you know.’
Surely someone knew of the phenomenon during the planning stage.
Dave
That pic is impressive, look at that massive pile of globalwarming those guys are walking on, plenty enough to make a globalwarming man out of. Almost even enough powdered globalwarming to go skiing on.
It will be interesting to hear the tall tales concocted by the warmists to explain global cooling.
Solar cycle 24 appears to be the lead into a Maunder minimum. The planet warms when the solar magnetic cycle is active and cools when the solar magnetic cycle slows down. There are cycles of warming and cooling in the paleoclimatic record that correlate to past periods of solar magnetic cycle changes.
IS THE COOLING WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT?
http://icecap.us/images/uploads/Is_the_Cooling_Worse_than_Thought_-3_%285%29.pdf
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22006646
Cold weather: Winners and losers from the long winter
The UK has just experienced the coldest March since 1962, and England its fourth-coldest since records began in 1910, according to the Met Office. From 1-26 March the UK mean temperature was 2.5C – three degrees below the long-term average.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22050874
Britain ‘running out of wheat’ owing to bad weather
NFU president Peter Kendall said more than two million tonnes of wheat had been lost because of last year’s poor summer. Looking ahead to the 2013 harvest, he said farmers had managed to get only three-quarters of the planned wheat planted this year, so the UK was already 25% down on potential production.
“I’ve been walking crops yesterday on the farm in Bedfordshire and they look pretty thin. We would normally say you should hide a hare in a crop of wheat in March. You’d struggle to cover a mouse in some of mine. … ….”If we got three-quarters of the area planted, and the same yield as last year, we could be looking at a crop of only 11m tonnes of wheat when we actually need 14.5m tonnes of wheat for our own domestic use here in the UK,” he said.
‘Written off 2013’
Andrew Watts, a wheat farmer and the NFU combinable crops board chairman, said farmers had been hoping for a kind autumn after a poor harvest in 2012, but this had not happened.
“It seems many farmers have written 2013 off and are trying to do what they can with the crops in the ground. Everyone is focusing on 2014 and making sure the land is in a good condition to get good crops then.
“This is what producing food is all about – the weather.”
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20130422-711874.html
Late Spring Fuels Uncertainty on Statistics Canada Planting Estimates
At the above site, the following graph, a comparison of the past solar cycles 21, 22, and 23 to the new cycle 24 is provided. That graph is update every six months or so.
http://www.solen.info/solar/images/comparison_recent_cycles.png
This is a graph, that is also located at the above site, that compares solar cycle 24 to the weakest solar magnetic cycles in the last 150 years.
http://www.solen.info/solar/images/comparison_similar_cycles.png