[jeremeyk482]

Hi guys. A posting on another thread in the CT forum has got me thinking about the weather changes in Connecticut. This poster claimed that snow is coming later and later, and they seem to be right. When it does come, it's mixed with rain. On New Years Day, the weather was about 68 degrees, no?

Does anyone else notice this changing weather pattern, or am I just paying too much attention to the weather?

I'm not a fan of Al Gore, but as the other poster said, maybe he has a point.

I invite everyone's opinions.

[wanderintonc]

Well, it seems to me that last year, 2006, we had a late (ending to) winter, followed by a late cool spring, late summer, and late fall into winter. Just an odd year, I think, part of a cycle.

I'm sure there is something to Gore's ideas, but I also think some of it is just normal cycles. Some years we get tons of snow and then a couple of years you don't get much. In 2004, I worked part-time at a ski area and we were open till the week before Easter. I read that that was not the case this year. And I recall a few years back, it snowing on Halloween (maybe 2003?).

So, my opinion is, I do think there are some global changes, but I think a lot of it is also just normal cycles.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by jeremeyk482

Hi guys. A posting on another thread in the CT forum has got me thinking about the weather changes in Connecticut. This poster claimed that snow is coming later and later, and they seem to be right. When it does come, it's mixed with rain. On New Years Day, the weather was about 68 degrees, no?

Does anyone else notice this changing weather pattern, or am I just paying too much attention to the weather?

I'm not a fan of Al Gore, but as the other poster said, maybe he has a point.

I invite everyone's opinions.

You are inviting a hornests nest of controversy and frankly I don't think this is the place.

The only thing Al Gore is on, is crack. Maybe some private jet fuel too.

Bottom line: Climate change happens in cycles. They thought an ice age was in the future and immanent in the 60's. Go figure. Don't look so much as today, but more at what happened over time.

[jeremeyk482]

Originally Posted by JViello

You are inviting a hornests nest of controversy and frankly I don't think this is the place.

The only thing Al Gore is on, is crack. Maybe some private jet fuel too.

Bottom line: Climate change happens in cycles. They thought an ice age was in the future and immanent in the 60's. Go figure. Don't look so much as today, but more at what happened over time.

Why isn't this the place? People looking to move to CT from other parts of the nation are going to be interested in the weather. This is a CT forum, so it's perfectly appropriate as on other forums where weather is discussed much more than on this one. And you contributed to the discussion.

Please don't give us your "bottom line." What I'm asking for here is other's opinions, not "what I say is the only thing that matters."

Thanks for contributing though!

[skytrekker]

The science regarding Global warming is at this point not easily refuted.
Al Gore may be a great showman- However......
when I can grow a certain species of Asian fan palm in my garden -that was covered- with no heat added- plus a giant sequoia as well, and even camellia- well that says something is different. The 'average' temperature at the University Connecticut at Storrs is 3 degrees warmer then 100 years ago. In perspective the planet was only 6 degrees cooler during the last ice age.

The burning of carbon based material has been shown to BE within 91% accuracy as a reason for a warming planet- source; IPCC http://www.ipcc.ch/ -unless one listens to certain conservative news sources - Which in the end do we want?- in perhaps a generation or so, will see our wonderful New England autumns muted because of the moving north of sugar maples and replaced by southern trees such as hickory and oak. Frankly if I was a parent with small kids- I would not so much listen to Al Gore's theatrics, but the overwhelming plethora of information from highly regarded scientists that IS signaling massive climatic changes for New England in decades to come- to ignore this makes one a fool at worse, and at best uninformed.

Politicians from John McCain to Hillary Clinton agree climate change is a serious problem.

A great site on climate change in the northeast can be found at http://www.climatechoices.org/ne/
which gives an objective view of our future- if this climatic modeling is only partly correct, by as early 2070 the climate in CT could resemble North or South Carolina- so we will no longer have to argue here about what state is best- what those states resemble could be like tropical Cuba.

In any case the climate in Connecticut and New England is milder then 30 years ago. The most likely cause is the burning of fossil fuels, NOT A Normal fluctuation of climatic cycles (which may play a very small role) as reported by Fox News and other non objective 'conservative' News sources.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by jeremeyk482

Why isn't this the place? People looking to move to CT from other parts of the nation are going to be interested in the weather. This is a CT forum, so it's perfectly appropriate as on other forums where weather is discussed much more than on this one. And you contributed to the discussion.

It's a hot political button and this isn't a political website. If you want to talk weather, I think that is appropriate...but something as controversial as global warming will IMO do nothing but stir the pot and is off base for this type of forum.

[jeremeyk482]

Originally Posted by JViello

It's a hot political button and this isn't a political website. If you want to talk weather, I think that is appropriate...but something as controversial as global warming will IMO do nothing but stir the pot and is off base for this type of forum.

If you don't like it, don't post as you're stirring up the pot by doing just that.

Thanks for the contribution, see ya now.

[mels]

Let me qualify my post by saying that I do think global warming is real, as are natural cycles in weather patterns. And why on earth does everyone equate global warming with Al Gore? Sure he brought it much attention but it isn't like he came up with the whole thing. More people (i.e. Al Gore haters) would be willing to learn about the effects of climate change were Gore not so attached to the subject.

Back on subject: I grew up in CT, left for a while and now live here again. I don't think the winters are as bad as they used to be here. Granted I am not that old so it isn't like I have 50 years of CT winters under my belt but I remember far more snow as a kid. I remember it vividly since I was the one who had to shovel that mess.

Now the reasoning for less snow, is it global warming? Is it just a less snowy time in a natural cycle? I don't know but I feel winter has shortened. I pay special attention to cold temps/snow since I ski. I also feel like summers are hotter/more humid, but that could be my imagination since I am not a fan of wretched heat.

[Rich Lee]

Originally Posted by JViello

It's a hot political button

It is? Virtually every technologically-advanced country on the planet studying weather is coming to the same conclusion without having, as you call it, a "political" agenda.

[wavehunter007]

I thought I would add my two cents to this topic – having an academic background in climate, and having constructed many a climaograph. I think climate and weather are always a big consideration when people think of moving.

I’ve also heard many people say snowfall in the Tri-State area is getting smaller. The first thing to remember is, despite the Weather Channel/New York media hype - the East Coast south of Boston is not a snowy place. Most of Connecticut averages only 30 – 40 inches of snow a season. The coast gets even less (about 25-inches officially at NWS Bridgeport). Also, the mean date for the first snowfall at Bridgeport (according the NWS) is December 19th. That date has stayed the same within 6 days (later/sooner) for the last 40 years. The last average date for measurable snow is March 29th. So, the average snow season is really only a little more than 90 days long. It can seem quite short.

For comparison, here is NWS data for other cities in the United States –

AVERAGE SEASONAL SNOWFALL -

Portland, OR - 5.5
Raleigh, NC - 7.1
Richmond, VA - 12.4
Amarillo, TX - 15.1
Washington, DC - 15.2
Boise, ID - 19.5
NYC (CP) - 22.4
Reno, NV - 23.5
Bridgepot, CT - 24.6
Des Moines, Iowa - 36.4
Chicago, IL - 39.0
Detroit, MI - 44.0
Spokane, WA - 48.0
Minneapolis, M - 56.0
Denver, CO - 61.0
Cleveland, OH - 63.1
Burlington, VT - 83.1
Duluth, MN - 88.1
Marquette, M - 184.5


As one can see, Connecticut and the rest of the Tri-State/mid Atlantic region have rather mild winters compared to many areas across the USA. Also, it may seem like it snowed more in the recent past (the 70’s, 60’s…ect), but three of the biggest snowstorms in Connecticut history occurred in the last 15 years (1993, 1998, 2006).

In 2006 – NYC had only its 4th plus 20-inch snowfall (a blizzard) in 139 years of record keeping. Blizzards in the Atlantic states from Rhode Island south - are quite rare. In fact, Nassau and Suffolk County, NY, and the southern counties of Connecticut (New London, New Haven, and Middlesex) have been hit with more hurricanes than blizzards.

As far as warmer temperatures – the Atlantic states have always had long, hot humid summers (south of Massachusetts). The huge Azores/Bermuda High pumps tropical heat and humidity into the region during summer, combined with the urban environment - the air NYC and Connecticut can feel like Thailand in the summer. In fact the summers in the 1930’s and 1950’s were hotter on the East Coast in terms of average means. The summer of 1955 remains the hottest in Connecticut in the last 100 years. The mean at Bridgeport was 80.3 F (nights fell to around 75 or 76 F, days were around 93 – 95 F). The THI (temperature/humidity index) added another 10 to 15 F to the sensible temperatures (Lows 87 F, highs 114 F). The summers of the 1990’s in Connecticut still have not been quite that hot. Yet.