[NatureNS] cause of unusual winter ?

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Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:15:32 -0300
From: Rick Whitman <dendroica.caerulescens@gmail.com>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
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I agree with Ulli & Chris but with regards to North America's winter
this year I recall reading or hearing that the jet stream failed to
develop its great big N/S loops this winter. These loops allow big
Arctic outflows to the south & once down "here", they more or less do
the typical west to east shuffle. This winter the jet stream tended to
be straight west to east, holding the Arctic air to the north.

The jet stream the past few days was a huge curve which was perfectly
positioned to direct & focus the air we've had. I like to look at the
jet steam map. As it happens, you get a nice temperature graphic at
the same time.

Note the jet stream is now closer to straight, also that the map is
always for the next day.

http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/jet_stream/index_e.html

Rick Whitman

On Thu, Mar 22, 2012 at 5:33 PM, Christopher Majka
<c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca> wrote:
> Indeed, Ulli is correct. "Global warming" is a bit of a misnomer, and
> certainly an oversimplification. Climate change is a much better term. And,
> in general, the effects of climate change are so as to accentuate climatic
> patterns; more droughts and more extreme droughts; more rainfall and
> flooding, more extreme weather events (tornados, hurricanes, hail storms,
> ice storms), more frequent and more intense El Ninos/La Nina. This is all
> set against the backdrop of increasing global temperature. The extreme cold
> temperatures this winter in Europe are also characteristic of the hitherto
> established climatic norm being run off the rails.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Chris
>
> On 22-Mar-12, at 5:11 PM, ulli@dunlin.ca wrote:
>
>> Just curious: Why do you think it is not related to global warming?
>>
>> There is this misconception that "global warming" means it gets warmer
>> everywhere.  It
>> would better to refer to this phenomenon as climate change, as it is
>> expected/accepted that
>> even with the average increase of the global temperature by a few degrees
>> we will see not
>> everywhere an up in temperature.
>>
>> What is expected and can already be seen -if you want to- is a shift in
>> weather patterns and
>> climate zones.
>>
>> Warmer winters than usual in one place, caused by "global warming", go
>> conform with colder
>> winters than usual in other parts of the world.  Same applies to
>> precipitation, where we likely
>> will see new arid zones appearing, while former deserts may see a bit more
>> precipitation than
>> in the past, as well as to a shift in oceanic water current patterns.
>>
>> As a result patterns and frequency of phenomenons like El Nino are very
>> likely also
>> influenced by all this, hence also under the influence of global
>> warming/climate change.
>>
>>
>> Ulli
>>
>>>  Just curious: Has anyone read anything about the possible causes of this
>>> year's very mild and generally snowless winter in North America?
>>>  Clearly, it isn't global warming, as Eurasia had a very cold and snowy
>>> winter. You may remember news reports about the Danube River being choked
>>> with ice for much of its length, an unprecedented number of deaths --mainly
>>> of the homeless-- due to the frost in Eastern Europe, and villagers in the
>>> former Yugoslavia being snowed in for weeks. Etc., etc.
>>>  Is it the La Nina/El Nino phenomenon? Other ocean circulation
>>> fluctuations? Solar flares, or lack thereof?
>>>  Dusan Soudek

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