I’m truly sorry about the title, but nothing else really describes the ridiculousness of the pronouncement by the White House aide John Podesta over these two satellite images in a maddeningly idiotic story from the Washington Post.
![snowpack13[1]](http://wattsupwiththat.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/snowpack131.jpg?quality=83)
![snowpack14[1]](http://wattsupwiththat.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/snowpack141.jpg?quality=83)
In a Feb. 24 Oval Office meeting, two of President Obama’s top climate advisers presented these sharply-contrasting images of California’s snowpack on Jan. 13, 2013 (left) and a year later (right), as a way to underscore how global warming is changing conditions on the ground in the United States.
The satellite images viewed by President Obama before a meeting with eight Western governors were stark, showing how snowpack in California’s mountains had shrunk by 86 percent in a single year.
“It was a ‘Houston, we have a problem’ moment,” recalled White House counselor John D. Podesta, one of two aides who briefed the president that February day. Obama mentioned the images several times as he warned the governors that political leaders had no choice but to cope with global warming’s impact.
After years of putting other policy priorities first — and dismaying many liberal allies in the process — Obama is now getting into the weeds on climate change and considers it one of the key components of his legacy, according to aides and advisers.
Story here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/for-president-obama-a-renewed-focus-on-climate/2014/05/04/6b81412c-d144-11e3-9e25-188ebe1fa93b_story.html
Gasp! 86% change in a single year. More proof positive that ‘global warming’ is accelerating. /sarc
So tell me, oh geniuses, what will you show the President after the looming El Niño kicks in later this year, and California has a wetter than normal year during the winter of 2014/15 and the snow pack goes up to something like 146% of normal? What then? Blame that on global warming and call it another “Houston we have a problem” moment when we get flooding in California like in 1997/1998 after that big EL Niño changed the weather pattern in a single year to drench the state?
The lack of snowpack in 2014 is all about ENSO and resulting jet stream patterns, something well known for years.
![209479main_elnino1_080128_HI[1]](http://wattsupwiththat.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/209479main_elnino1_080128_hi1.jpg?quality=83)
Pattern shifts related to ENSO make California winters highly variable. For example, compare the snowpack change from 1880 to 1881 in the graph below from the Sierra Snow Lab and note some of the other low years highlighted in yellow.
Snowfall and snowpack data from the CSSL archive dating from 1878 to1945, and from 1952 to1957, were measured and supplied by the Southern Pacific Transportation Company. Snowpack and snowfall measurements were taken at Summit Station from 1878 through 1927, and at Norden from 1927 on. From 1879 to 1897, and 1901, the maximum snowpack depth was estimated. Current CSSL methodology mandates that new snow is measured twice a day, at 0800 and 1600 Pacific Standard Time. The depth of the new snow is probed with a rule at the four corners of a snow board. [The snow board is piece of plastic-covered plywood, .25m2 in area.] The four depths are recorded and averaged, the board is then cleaned off and replaced on the snowpack surface.
[Ref: Randall S. Osterhuber, Climatic Summary of Donner Summit, California, Central Sierra Snow Laboratory, October 1993]
Will these geniuses in the White House say global warming reached back through time to 1881 to cause this? How about 1977, was that “global warming” too? But let’s indulge them, let’s say it is ALL caused by ‘global warming’. What will they do about it? Tax it? Issue a presidential order? Make emitting CO2 a crime?
Like Nature cares what they think or do. Idiots.
| “Some people are weatherwise, but most people are otherwise.” — Benjamin Franklin |
Given all the problems, foreign and domestic, facing the nation, you have to wonder why this feckless administration and its Puppet President are pushing the Alarmist myth of the “climate change” (née “global warming”). The answer has to be that it fits into the overriding administration agenda: to gain control over every aspect of the nation’s economy, using the EPA, and to institute new taxes to fund the ever-expanding federal Leviathan, i.e. a ‘carbon’ tax. The tax may be difficult to achieve so long as the Republicans control the House of Representatives, but if the EPA can survive court challenges, it could possibly achieve the same end with draconian fees on energy production and any business that uses energy. Never mind that it would be unconstitutional—when has that stopped this administration?
That is why it is essential to maintain Republican control of the House, and to elect a Republican Senate. The rogue EPA has to be curtailed, if not completely abolished. It is not likely we’ll get a veto-proof Congress in 2015, but with Republican majorities the administration agenda can be stymied by withholding spending, until a more rational President can be elected in 2016.
/Mr Lynn
Well snow pack above Lake Powell not very alarming. Lots of data to access here
http://snowpack.water-data.com/uppercolorado/index.php
No apologies needed. It’s always a dumbass moment when a room full of Poli Sci types play with real science.
This will soon be a Youtube Hitler video.
=============
certainly no lack of material.
Actually Nick, one shouldn’t make too much of DECADES long trends in weather pattern variations. Else those who fish for a living would be experiencing “the sky is falling” yearly panic attacks for 30 to 60 years of their lives. But that issue was solved in the 90’s when an intirely natural, intrinsic, oceanic/atmospheric teleconnection was discovered that caused the fishing industry to experience these West Coast shifts up and down the length of North America.
If such oscillations affect the fishing industry and its oceanic biome, it makes sense to base the climate change null hypothesis on intirely natural, intrinsic, land based oscillations. No?
Mr. Spencer you have too much time on your hands.
@ur momisugly /Mr. Lynn
“That is why it is essential to maintain Republican control of the House, and to elect a Republican Senate. The rogue EPA has to be curtailed, if not completely abolished. It is not likely we’ll get a veto-proof Congress in 2015, but with Republican majorities the administration agenda can be stymied by withholding spending, until a more rational President can be elected in 2016.”
I have seen very little in the last 15 years to suggest that the Republican establishment would behave in a manner that different from the Democrats once they are in power.
So, send this web site info to the White House Situration Room.
http://www.arapahoebasin.com/
The web cams and or the snow amount current 74 inch base and all runs open.
Help the helpless.
This is all about “shaping the battlefield” for the mid-term elections in 2014.
Remember, John Podesta is one of the creators of, and still the chairman of the “Think Progress” site which pays Joe Romm to be one of its “distinguished fellows”.
Fortunately, no one cares about, or is paying attention to, this particular story except California voters, and that state is lost to the democrat party already, so for the rest of the county, so what? It won’t change a single vote in any contested race, so all of the hype about this is for nothing. And as you say, within a year, snowpack will be back, and the story will be just as quickly forgotten.
On a side note, these stories are the reason it’s fun to say “climate change!!!” whenever we have a cold winter, because the dems and warmists (but I repeat myself) fall all over themselves proving that “weather is not climate!!!” which is fun to throw back at them every summer when they see one high temp somewhere and have a fainting spell while shrieking “climate change!!! climate change!!!”
There is not one shred of “science” left in this issue any more, it is all politics, meaning that the only way to fight it anymore is political.
I AM THE LORD THY GOD
THOU SHALL NOT HAVE GREEN GODS BEFORE ME!!!
Yes, it is true that in recent decades, El Nino years, big ones anyway, do give CA all the water it needs for a year or more.
But, the history of CA for the last 1300 years or so shows periods of drought that have lasted up to 250 years. See:
http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_24993601/california-drought-past-dry-periods-have-lasted-more
So the real issue seems to be long term natural variability. Whether El Nino brings huge rains again, or not, the issue, as Judith Curry consistently points out, is separating natural variability from stuff that happens because CO2 and black carbon and methane emissions are higher that historically. If CA has a big drought that lasts another decade, that would fit easily within the historical record.
Come unto me sayth the One Tax God you little tax payer ID numbers.
Tom J says:
May 5, 2014 at 6:11 am
——————————————-
Yes Sir, evil lies it is then.
We can create a testable experiment. Create a series of maps showing sierra snowpack for the last 150years with the dates removed and ask climate scientists to arrange them in chronological order.
Buy stock in the whiskey companies as the American people will like the Russians have to stay drunk for 50 to 75 years just to keep their sanity intact due to all these dumb as& lies every one knows are total tax and spend trash.
Has anyone noticed that one photo appears to have more clouds in it, or is that snow on the pacific ocean off California?
Roy Spencer says:
May 5, 2014 at 3:21 am
“and what happens if temps fall BELOW absolute zero? We’re in BIG trouble then!”
Someone better be going to jail for a Third Law violation…
Anthony, including “dumbass” in the headline is more than appropriate. In fact, I believe it should be used more often…maybe even create a category for dumbass statements.
Cheers!!
wws
May 5, 2014 at 6:47 am
says:
‘Fortunately, no one cares about, or is paying attention to, this particular story except California voters, and that state is lost to the democrat party already, so for the rest of the county, so what? It won’t change a single vote in any contested race…’
Sorry to be blunt but I wouldn’t bet on that. The Republican primaries in Oregon are not over yet but Dr. Monica Wehby, a pediatric neurosurgeon, is favored to win it. If so, the initial indications are that she would be a very formidable challenger to the incumbent Democratic Senator, Jeff Merkeley. The rollout of that state’s Obamacare exchanges was an utter disaster. Note Wehby’s credentials: pediatric neurosurgeon. Of all places, true blue Oregon could actually be in play in November. I’m not from there but I strongly suspect they have an interest in what goes on to their South.
So we are to believe, in the two satellite photos that the one on the left is “snow pack” and the one on the right is an example of snow pack due to global warming? What absurdity! The picture on the left was taken after a major winter storm blew through. The satellite picture on the right; atypical for the eastern Sierra’s and Nevada. Snow does not stay on the ground in Nevada all winter long, because after a winter storm, the snow melts off within a day or two. Does anyone really want to believe there is snow pack in Death Valley? Cherry pick the dates and you can produce any imagery you want.
Just noticed the same article ran in the Denver paper this morning.
This is a new low in intellectual dishonesty. There can be no doubt this was purposely done to alarm the citizenry of the United States. This is a dis-service to the people of America & a dis-service to all of science. This president came in talking about how he would be a champion of science & making decisions based on science. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I am optimistic though that the vast majority will see right through this & this dishonesty will only further undermine the CAGW cause in the minds of most people. Hopefully it doesn’t undermine their confidence in science , in general, as well.
Charles Nelson says:
May 5, 2014 at 5:23 am
America…beep…you have a problem…beep.
Yes, and he’s in the White House.
Please don’t give them any ideas.
Some people are a special kind of stooopid, they don’t understand “w e a t h e r”.
Early this year ski hills in SW BC and NW WA were in trouble, had to close due lack of snow. Including Mount Washington on Vancouver Island, which sometimes cannot operate because there was too much snow.
But a couple of months later they had so much they hoped to operate into May.
The antidote lies with voters, who elected the irresponsibly ignorant control freaks.
Houston, we have a problem: record Antarctic sea ice.
Must be global warming.