NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - NOAA: Coolest Winter Since 2001 for U.S., Globe

this is going to get all the global warming nay-sayers excited. What do you guys think?

I think the issue of climate change has been hopelessly confused with the more interesting sounding global warming, which is not the cause, but one possible outcome of climate change.

Whether we're talking about climate change or global warming, one year does not a trend in climate patterns make.

If cooler temps continue for several years then there may be something to the idea that 'global warming' is all hype, but if you look at most models of what MIGHT happen if 'global warming' is happening, then this is exactly what we should expect.

Climatic conditions become more variable, not always hotter or cooler, basically, things freak out and we see snow falling where it rarely does, like South Africa (which has happened this year) and massive storms in places where weather is usually more tranquil (as in the huge wind storm over western Europe a year and a half ago.

The bottom line with global warming and climate change is that we won't be 100% sure what's happening until it's too late for us to take action to change things.

Climate is one of the most complex systems on the planet and we understand it about as well as doctors understood human anatomy two centuries ago.

We're doing the best we can with what we've got. That being said, I'd like to reiterate, one cold winter doesn't mean it's all hype!

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"Yes. That's correct. Making a statement that's 100% true can't be bigoted."

I've lived in the southeast for over 25 years and this has definitely been the WARMEST winter by far that I've ever seen here. January and February are always the coldest months, but I was able to lay out on my deck and work on my tan last month! We also had a number of days with temps in the 60's and low 70's last month. This is UNHEARD of.

So it may have been the coolest winter elsewhere, but you sure wouldn't know it here.

And I got a little SUNBURNED today when normally I'd be wearing long pants and a warm jacket!!

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"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty." Thomas Jefferson

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I think it's called global warming, not USA warming.

Yep, got my first sunburn of the year a month ago.

Tomorrow we're expecting temps in the low 90s.

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"Yes. That's correct. Making a statement that's 100% true can't be bigoted."

Where I live we've just broken the record for capital city heat waves in Australia. We have another five days of it. That will make it 16 days of temperatures above 35c which beats the previous 1988 record by 5 days. And it's supposed to be autumn.

Of itself that proves nothing. The culprit is a high pressure condition which is stopping the usual cooling winds from Antarctica. But this is an unusual condition. Put it together with all the other unusual conditions occurring all over the Earth and it starts to look a bit worrying.

It's been cold as can be here, but lumara it's been warmer in the southeast because of La nina.

I live in Cincinnati (Ohio). Last week, we had a blizzard. Today was in the low 60's. Then again, the (true) joke has always been that Cincy's the only place where you'll be able to use the AC and heat in the same day, so I wouldn't chalk this one up to climate changes.

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