Like I have been saying: No matter what the weather, it is global warming in GWH Land. Thus, in the wake of the great UK freeze, even though only a few years ago climate scientists were predicting that by now we would see little snow in England, we were told the deep cold was really caused by the deep warm. And now again, with great Northeast Post Christmas Blizzard, we again see defensive confident assertions that the cause of the all the cold is—ta da!—global warming. (When trying to figure all of this out, remember this rule: It’s climate if it can be somehow tied to warming. It’s merely weather, if it can’t. The House always wins.) From the story:
The loss of Arctic sea ice helps accelerate the warming of the atmosphere in the far north, thanks to what’s known as the albedo effect. White ice reflects sunlight into space, cooling the air, but when ice melts and is replaced with dark ocean water, the effect is reversed and more of the sun’s heat is absorbed. As the Arctic air warms, it raises the altitude of discrete areas of high pressure, which can then alter wind patterns. This, in turn, can weaken the jet stream, allowing more cold air to seep out of the Arctic and into Europe and the eastern U.S. As the authors of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s recent “Arctic Report Card” put it, “There is evidence that the effect of higher air temperatures in the lower Arctic atmosphere in fall is contributing to changes in the atmospheric circulation in both the Arctic and northern mid-latitudes.
Oh really? Nice theory.
Now, let’s get into our time machine and dial back four + years to October 2006, when we witness the political advocacy group, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and some university academics warning that the Northeast would experience ever less snow. From the story:
October 4, 2006 (ENS) - Global warming will cause major changes to the climate of the U.S. Northeast if greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced, scientists said today. Warmer annual temperatures, less snow, more frequent droughts and more extreme rainstorms are expected if current warming trends continue, the scientists said in a new study, and time is running out for action to avoid such changes to the climate. The Northeast’s climate is already changing, the report said, as spring is arriving sooner, summers are hotter and winters are warmer and less snowy.
Oops. Oh, well, we’ll have a warmer winter than usual at some point, and that will be blamed on warming, too. You see, being a GWH means never having to say you’re sorry. Whichever way the wind blows, literally, global warming is to blame.
By the way, the last time a storm like this hit the Northeast was 1947. Wat that warming too? Or was it merely weather?
HT: Climate Depot
