Global Warming Slamming Us This Winter

I suppose that is what the warming theorists, and the politicos like Al Gore, would have us believe. Then again, just the other day I heard the head of Green Peace (I think that is who they had on a FoxNews video), saying that global warming was quite possibly responsible for the ice storm in the Midwest of the USA. Tomorrow here in western Long Island we are expected to get some bad weather. Now according to whom it is that you listen, such as 1010 WINS Radio, we are going to get 'from 1 to 5 inches of snow between 0900 (9AM) and about 18900 (7PM), frozen, rain and snow' - or, if you read MSN's weather report we are going to have: "Day: Definite light rain with snow and ice pellets (sleet) and patchy fog. High 35F, humidity 65%. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Night: Chance of light freezing rain with snow and ice pellets (sleet). Low 31F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Boy that sounds pretty much alike. Two different media outlets are saying we will have a crappy day, and they both say that a bit further north will be worse. Even the National Weather Service (see: http://www.weather.com/maps/news/forecastsummary/36hrfloaterqpf_large.html?from=wxcenter_maps) predicts at least 1-3 inches of snow on the ground in NYC and western Long Island (and up to about 6 inches in some places on Western LI), and from 6 up to 12 inches of white stuff on the ground just north of NYC; and guess what - the date of this winter storm (as they are calling it) is predicted to be December 13, 2007.

Now from 52 years of experience, most of which I have had a grasp of after 4 or 5 years of age, I can say without a doubt that snow this early in the season, in these amounts, is pretty unusual for our area. So on what can we blame this phenomenon - I would imagine we can blame it on Global Warming, but then again I am no junk scientist, I am not a failed politician, I am not the head of an ultra kooky green group - but I'd bet that would be their explanation. Heck, I am just a regular guy who is surprised that it is going to snow before Christmas; and one who hopes it does snow just about an inch on Christmas. That would be nice; and if such is what we can expect due to Global Warming, then I am all for climate change. Bear in mind - snow over the winter is good. In the spring it melts, the melted water runs off to streams, and into lakes and reservoirs, and into the oceans. Full lakes are good for fish, and for human fun. Full reservoirs are good places to get drinking water. A full ocean is good for fishing, swimming, surfing, and boating, and plenty of other fun things. It seems we cannot go wrong if Global Warming is causing all this snow and ice, let's hope it keeps it up all winter (well not so much so that it screws people over in the Midwest, but enough so there is plenty of melting water in the spring to feed our reservoirs).

Now Global Warming may be for real, and its causing snow may be the result, but if such is the case, there is something very strange about all of this for which I as a rational sort of a guy just do not understand when I re-listen to the Global Warming theories of a year ago, even 6 months ago, or 3 months ago - and then compare those to the ones of very recent days that try to explain away this white cold stuff. Go figure, I guess I should have paid better attention in science class in my school days.

All the best,
Glenn B