General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums50 degrees in Detroit. On Jan. 7......
And the lowest forecast high over the next 5 days is 39.......
Good news that's really not good news, I suppose. I worry about the lake levels if this continues.
Bjorn Against
(12,041 posts)Here in the Twin Cities we have been in the mid forties this past week which is nearly unheard of for January, and Southwestern Minnesota reached into the sixties on Thursday which has never happened before in January. It may feel nice, but I too am worried about global warming.
RevStPatrick
(2,208 posts)I like global warming!!!
Except of course, that's it's going to destroy the planet as we know it.
DeathToTheOil
(1,124 posts)Joe the Revelator
(14,915 posts)Did not disprove global warming.
Weather does not equal climate.
Bjorn Against
(12,041 posts)You are right that weather is not the same as climate, but large shifts in weather patterns could indicate a change in climate. Those of us who live in Minnesota have seen big changes in our climate over the past fifteen years or so, nearly every Minnesota adult who has lived in this state for their whole life will tell you that our winters were much more harsh when we were children than they are now.
PCIntern
(25,251 posts)Yeah, I remember a lot of early January days like this in the 50's, 60's, 70's, and 80's...of ocurse...
WE USED TO HAVE SERIAL SNOW AND ICE STORMS THIS TIME OF YEAR AND FRIGID COLD!!!!!
Romulox
(25,960 posts)Howler
(4,225 posts)Been so for the last couple of days. Even sat out on the porch yesterday afternoon.
FarLeftFist
(6,161 posts)quinnox
(20,600 posts)ugh
Arctic Dave
(13,812 posts)Warm for January.
neverforget
(9,433 posts)MadHound
(34,179 posts)Here in the Midwest, farmers are worried about the winter wheat crop. It has already sprouted, and is growing rapidly. If the wheat reaches four inches, and then a freeze hits, the crop loss will be massive.
Orchardists, myself included, are keeping a close eye on the temperature. Certain fruit trees, including apples and pears, require between two and four hundred hours of below freezing temperatures in order to properly bloom and fruit. Without such cold, there will be little to no fruit. Right now, we're running at about a quarter to half of the required number of hours.
Not to mention that a lack of snow means a lack of nitrogen returning to the soil, when means less fertile soil. Furthermore, a lack of snow means that the deep soil layers are not getting the necessary moisture to sustain growth next season. Here in Missouri, we've suffered from a severe drought over the summer and fall. While we've had some moisture, starting in September, our deep soil layers need at least thirteen more inches of moisture in order to have a normal growing season this year.
This lack of cold, snowy weather, while pleasant for us in the short term, could very well spell long term problems.
customerserviceguy
(25,183 posts)Their trees need a good blanket of snow on the ground to produce a decent sap run as temperatures warm.
Denninmi
(6,581 posts)Not only is it freakishly warm, 2011 was the wettest year on record in Detroit, breaking the previous record set in 1880.
I wonder if we will flip flop, and have a very dry year in 2012.
Time to set up the drip irrigation on the garden for next year.
marmar
(76,945 posts)nt
underpants
(182,064 posts)I am in shorts!!!
notadmblnd
(23,720 posts)but I don't think we'll see 50 out here.
marmar
(76,945 posts)nt
NBachers
(16,964 posts)boxman15
(1,033 posts)But just remember not to use one winter as proof/disproof of global warming. Those on both sides of the argument (aka people who live in reality and those who don't) like to use one abnormally warm or cold winter to support their arguments.
Climate and weather are not the same thing.
Bjorn Against
(12,041 posts)The past few years have been among the warmest on record, while there have been cold snaps the average surface temperature has been on the rise for some time now.