Europeans wonder: Snow, where'd you go?

[housewolf]

Europeans wonder: Snow, where'd you go?

Bears in Slovakia are awakening early from hibernation. So are barmaids in Bavaria, unseasonably busy in outdoor beer gardens. Bushes are blooming in Austria, and skiers at snowless Bosnian resorts are chilling out in hotel pools.

Forgoing a white Christmas was one thing, but the utter absence of snow for weeks on end from the Baltics to the Balkans has many Europeans pining for what seems - so far, anyway - like The Winter That Wasn't.

<snip>

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apeurope_story.asp?category=1103&slug=Europe%20Where's%20Winter%3F

[forintegrity]

1. Could this be caused by

global warming?

[NuttyFluffers]

2. why that's mad hocus pocus science you talk about!

of course it isn't caused by global warming. it's caused by the 'wrath of god against the godless heathen europeans and their fondue eating, gay orgy, chalets,' or that's what jerry falwell will tell me.
:evilgrin:

[forintegrity]

3. what was I thinking?

.

[Squatch]

4. Positive phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation

which is a naturaly occuring semi-cyclic phenomenon.

http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/NAO/NAO+.gif

-The Positive NAO index phase shows a stronger than usual subtropical high pressure center and a deeper than normal Icelandic low.


-The increased pressure difference results in more and stronger winter storms crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a more northerly track.


-This results in warm and wet winters in Europe and in cold and dry winters in northern Canada and Greenland


-The eastern US experiences mild and wet winter conditions

[Combat Honey]

5. Positive NAO yeah, but...

...why has it been positive for so long now...?positive NAO has clearly been dominating the last few decades. I'd say that global climate shift is on its way and manifests its existence through more stable positive NAO and AO. Who knows?

[ChemEng]

6. Apparently to Boston...