Will we go over 100 degrees again this year? (Duluth, Isanti: buy, living in)

[timberwolves100]

Well, it's about 90 degrees right now in Isanti, MN. We've been in the 80s most of the past couple of weeks and its only mid May. If we surpass 100 degrees again this summer for back-to-back years, think this may prove that Global Warming is indeed having some kind of dramatic effect. Some think this is obvious, but others still refuse to believe we are causing anything. What do you guys think?

[golfgal]

I think that ever since I was a child and living in MN for many, many years we have hit 100° every year I have been alive. It isn't unusual for MN to see 100° temps.

[catluvr]

I agree. 100 is inevitable. Always is and that is what I love about summer. We spend all winter waiting for this I definately think we are in a warming trend, although everyone needs to hurry up and push the global warming agenda because I just heard we were on track in a few years for a cooling trend. Will be hard to push GW agenda then. True or not I don't know. Either way, I can't say I would be sad to see -35 go away forever Theories are just theories until proven and scientists can't agree one way or the other.

[AVguy]

It is important not to confuse weather and climate. Day-to-day comparisons, and even year-to-year comparisons, cannot prove or disprove the existence of global warming. Note that many of Minnesota's daily temperature records are from decades ago. If global warming occurs as you suggest, for example, you might expect that all of our record temperatures to have been set in the last decade, which is not the case.

Personally, do I believe that there is global warming? Most likely. Are humans the cause, if not the leading cause, of global warming? It is more likely than not. Has science advanced to the extent that it can show a causal relationship (not a correlational or anedotal relationship!) between human activity and the measured increases in temperature? Absolutely not. Until a causal relationship can be drawn between human activity and global warming, many people will not be convinced. Regarding this perspective, many people believe, and I certainly understand and somewhat agree, that it is mysterious that a large, worldwide group of skeptics (i.e., scientists) can all agree on something that is not even uniformly measured under generally accepted procedures.

On the other side, many people once believed only in what they could see (on an earthly plane, at least), believing what they couldn't see couldn't hurt them. Obviously, people no longer believe this. Through science we now know of the existence of germs, dinosaurs, and electro-magnet forces, all of which were not readily apparent in our environment before they were discovered by scientists. (Caveat: Most of us believe in dinosaurs.) Because of science, we know that human activity has led to contamination of air and water through manufacturing and production activity, as evidenced by smog and toxic waste sites. We easily see that nuclear explosions, like the Chernobyl disaster, have devastating effects, making that contaminated land unlivable. So to claim that human activity cannot substantially effect the climate and the environment is unpersuasive for me. However, I do not know whether human-caused climate change is happening to an extent predicted by some scientists. Modeling is a dangerous business--just ask a weather forecaster!

Getting back to your question again, two years of 100-degree weather in Minnesota does not mean very much to me. Two straight weeks of 100-degree weather might raise my eyebrows though.

[catluvr]

Other potential causes for "Global Warming": Volcanos, thinning polar axis (both of them). Why are the South Pole ice getting thicker and temps getting colder? Isn't Global all encompassing? Maybe there is "North Pole warming"

Food for thought.

[catluvr]

Sorry, hit post too soon!

Instead of polar axis, I should have said magnetic axis, I believe. Could this be creating increased solar radiation, which could be warming things up? HMMMMMMMM. This theory would make sense to me.

[timberwolves100]

Yeah even though the past past 10 years or so suggest that the average temperature has gotten warmer, guess it could still just be an upswing that could turn to colder weather in the next 10. I guess the last couple of years especially makes you wonder if the climate is changing but surely that is not enough to draw any kind of conclusions to.

It seems like overall we have seen slightly warmer temps on average other than the fairly cold late winter we had last year. I guess we will have to more consistent long stretches of heat before we can start to wonder.

[nick is rulz]

yes its all just funny coincedence. Lets all go buy SUVs!!!!!!

[Isaysos]

Keep driving those Hummers and SUV's Please! It would be so nice to not have such cold winters in the Mid-West!

[MidniteBreeze]

Originally Posted by Isaysos

Keep driving those Hummers and SUV's Please! It would be so nice to not have such cold winters in the Mid-West!

Shhh....don't let the Californians hear you! Duluth: the new San Francisco of the Midwest?