December 2011 (Scripps) CO2 Concentrations: 391.80ppm

Here Is More on the Current Year

This is extremely troubling.  

There has never been a 60 degree temperature recorded during the first week of January in Minnesota's modern climate record. The warmest temperature ever recorded in Minnesota during the first week of January is 59 degrees, occurring on January 7, 2003 in Amboy, MN. The warmest temperature ever recorded in Minnesota on January 5 is 57 degrees, recorded at Crookston in 1902.
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Atmospheric circulation patterns were the most extreme on record for December measured by an index called the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) according to Dr. Jeff Masters. A strong positive NAO has cold air in Canada moving offshore into the Labrador Sea while the U.S and Europe are warm. A Strongly positive NAO produces a tight pressure gradient and intense storms in the north Atlantic.
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And, On Christmas day Norway was battered by major-hurricane strength storm Dagmar.

December 26, 2011  

One of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit Norway hammered coastal areas during the Christmas weekend and left a wide path of destruction throughout the south, west and northwest. Winds were clocked at more than 200 kilometers an hour, terrifying residents in many areas and leaving more than 100,000 homes without power.

Of course, know it's just an Al Gore political lie.  What utter tripe.

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by: saindenver @ Fri Jan 20, 2012 at 19:52:39 PM UTC

Extreme weather

was certainly in the news in 2011 and that has continued into the early part of 2012.

That said, the temperatures in the northern tier this winter are more a cause of concern than the storm affecting Norway (which is impressive, for sure).  The reason I say this is that some conditions (i.e., temperature and glacial melt) are changing at statistically significant rates while others (precipitation, hurricane strength/frequency) are not.

Unfortunately, the latter are easier for the media and public to grab onto because they're more tangible than the statistical analyses and interpretation required for the former.  I have followed developments of the NAO and AO for the past couple of winters with intense interest.  It is important to note that their relationship to other weather or climate variables is at this point almost nonexistent.  Neither are the oscillations currently predictable.

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by: WeatherDem @ Sun Jan 22, 2012 at 18:14:35 PM UTC

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