So what happened to winter?
After temperatures rose into the 70s last month, the first week of February has recorded some additional mild readings in the 50s and 60s; and the coming forecasts want to keep our weather on the mild side. The Climate Prediction Center is keeping both temperatures and rainfall above average for the next few weeks.
The cause of all the mild weather is the jetstream, a river of very fast winds high up in our atmosphere. The path of this river of air is bringing moisture laden air to our West coast where it is dumping plenty of rain along the coast and snow further inland. The Pacific Northwest and California have been receiving plenty of rain and snow. After unloading its moisture out west the jetstream crosses the Rockies with more snow then dips south to pick up more moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. The air is still cold enough in the Dakotas and upper Midwest to produce snow, but as the moisture gets to our area the air is warm enough and we get just rain and a little snow which doesn鈥檛 last very long. This path is keeping all the really cold air locked up in the Arctic.
Also, since we do not a have a supply of cold air coming across the Great Lakes, we are not experiencing much in the way of lake effect snow. Due to the mild weather, the Great Lakes remain pretty much free of ice and this open pattern would normally be the recipe for some great lake effect snows but again this has been a strange weather year. We usually get about a third of our snows from lake effect snows, but so far not this year.
Folks ask if this is part of our climate changing and the answer is perhaps. Certainly a lot of change has been taking place. We had 10 months of above normal temperatures last year and so far this season is running well above normal. The past decade has also been the warmest in over 100 years. I am sure we will see some cold and snow before winter takes its final bow.
Folks who don鈥檛 like winter have been happy, but skiers and winter lovers are a bit gloomy these days. The part of winter I dislike the most is the cloudy dreary days and you may have noticed that we are beginning to see a little more daylight as we move towards spring.
A couple of things happened to me as I got older. Along with the age, I also got cold and old and cold makes me cranky 鈥� old, cold and cranky. The cure has been to head south with the snow birds and spend a few weeks in Florida. At first, I resisted the idea of spending time with all those old folks but after I was able to bike and swim each day for a few weeks each winter I now look forward to our visits. In January and February, the bugs are gone, the humidity is comfortable, temperatures average in the mid 70s and very little rain falls. March and April are also nice, but it gets crowded with spring-breakers.
An interesting article in the Naples News about a Republican member of Congress from West Virginia and a Democratic from Oregon putting together a bipartisan plan to fight climate change by crafting plans to be introduced to the House of Representatives in 2020. Each side has legitimate ideas about how to tackle the problem that must be addressed. They are not asking either side to abandon its principals, but to borrow from both to bridge the divide and move us forward as a nation. Republicans believe in the power of innovation and Democrats know we need regulation and the current law isn鈥檛 well suited to the job. These leaders are looking for a new approach that combines innovation and reformed regulation. Very refreshing to see that people are taking this seriously. Stay tuned.