Seattle Times: "The truth about global warming"

I would bet they are definitely above normal. I doubt we've had a below normal temp winter for quite a few years now. When was the last time we've had a record low temp? There've been a lot of record high temps the last several years. I've noticed a lot of creeks with a hell of a lot of snow piled up around them, but not filling in the way they should. I think that's a sign that it hasn't been getting as cold as it should. Maybe it's still early.

<br><br>I believe November and December were much below normal. Do we forget the weeks of frozen pipes and icy roads here in the lowlands? I had to buy more portable heaters for my cabin at Hyak because of the cold temps to save the plumbing. It wasn't record temps, but it was dropping down to near 10-13 degrees and eastern WA was in single digits. From just after Halloween until a week before christmas tempratures pretty much stayed in the 20s on Snoqualmie which is below the average. <br><br>Since then the weather seems pretty normal (hovering around 32 on Snoqualmie) and the snowpack is fairly average (big nov, weak dec and big Jan). Overall I'd say this year is pretty much average with temps slightly below for WA. Just a guess.... We still have a few more months to go.<br><br>I read many of the eastern/former soviet countries are setting cold records this year...... BTW, we have not set any warm temprature records here in WA either that I can think of.

how many record highs have we seen this year? And how many that missed the record by a degree or so - mainly because it was set last year? The last 2 days have been like that. I 'll accept November as possibly below normal, but I remember roasting on Christmas Eve. I believe we broke a few records that week.

My observations are that we have a rising lower snow level. More sq miles that potenially held the precip as snow now quickly shed the precip as water causing flooding in the lowlands. Snow pack at higher colder elevations are normal or plus.<br>Part of my work life includes repairing frozen and burst water pipes. I'm in facilities maintence for the oil companies. IT's been 10 yrs or better since we had a big round of freezing here in the lowlands.<br>Just my empirical observations. By the way I thought Santified was too preachy. What's happening to us in terms of energy and climate change needs to be reponded to and dealt with in a pragmatic way.

I remember growing up in southern Oregon and the creeks used to freeze reqularly. Also used get significant snow every year or so. That hasn't happened for many years.<br><br>Sancitified was kind of lame. I could have tolerated the preaching if the skiing had been better. But it was free with my Backcountry subscription, so I'm not complaining.

It seems we always hear "it used to snow so much more when I was a kid" from parents, grandparents, etc. I used to think the same thing about when I grew up in Yakima, but when I went through records of snowfall, temp, etc it just doesn't show what I "think" I remember it to always have been. I used to tell of sledding on this one park "we used to always sled, etc" but actually thinking about it, it really was only 2 good winters where we had sledding on that hill, but as a kid it seemed like much more. <br><br>I remember the winter of 1972 as a kid, temps dropping down to almost -20, the river frozen over...it was a crazy winter. Same thing happened in 1991 when I came to visit from Florida and found there was a terrible arctic blast causing double digit below 0 readings, frozen lakes, pipes, etc..... It doesn't always happen, but it will again. Every winter one part of the world is freezing while another part is warmer then normal......it always works that way. Its not a trend, just a cycle that depends on where the jet stream decides to bend.......that's how I see it anyway. <br><br>If you can provide historic temprature data that shows average temp's changing a great deal over the past 70 years here in WA then maybe I would re-think my analogy, but since it is never really been shown there is no reason for me to think otherwise. Snow data does not snow any trends, that is for sure.

... but actually thinking about it, it really was only 2 good winters where we had sledding on that hill, but as a kid it seemed like much more. <br><br>I remember the winter of 1972 as a kid, temps dropping down to almost -20, the river frozen over...it was a crazy winter. Same thing happened in 1991 when I came to visit from Florida and found there was a terrible arctic blast causing double digit below 0 readings, frozen lakes, pipes, etc..... It doesn't always happen, but it will again. Every winter one part of the world is freezing while another part is warmer then normal......it always works that way. Its not a trend, just a cycle that depends on where the jet stream decides to bend.......that's how I see it anyway. <br><br>If you can provide historic temprature data that shows average temp's changing a great deal over the past 70 years here in WA then maybe I would re-think my analogy, but since it is never really been shown there is no reason for me to think otherwise. Snow data does not snow any trends, that is for sure.

I'm not so sure I disagree with you, hyak. All the conflicting information has always been a mass of confusion to me.<br>I know there's a lot of really smart folks that post on this site, most of them much better educated that this aged outdoors junky.<br>I, somewhat sheepishly, have to admit that I am a bit too selfish of my time to do the research to feel confident in debating the issues that this thread deals with.<br>I have my passions which I do stay fairly up-to-date on; I also enjoy my recreational reading. One of my favorite fictional writers is Michael Crichton. Not only are his stories griping and captivating to me, but I've come to be awestruck by the depth and thoroughness of his research. Each book, while on totally different subjects, was painstakingly and thoroughly researched. From the Great Train Robbery (maybe one of the most clever crimes in modern history) to quantum physics, medieval times, nanotechnology, prehistoric times, dna research, and on and on, sometimes much to my chagrin... almost like hearing how a watch is made when you only wanted to know the time of day.<br>Nonetheless, besides a love of his storytelling abilities, I also developed, over years of reading his books, an enormous respect for his doggedly determined research skills... not totally unlike our own Lowell Skoog.<br><br>So where's this all going?<br>The point is I believe that Michael Crichton has most likely researched this topic far more thoroughly than most, if not all, of us posting here, and maybe even those that have provided the information that many of us are relying on as the basis of our opinions.<br>The most ironic point is the fact that his research began with his intention to write a fictional book about a catastrophe not totally unlike global warming and led him on a quest to prove out the fears that he had. The intended book did not get written but his, again, extensive research resulted in his newest novel "State of Fear".<br>Many of the reasons for his reversal of his fears and beliefs and the abandonment of his original book idea were outlined in a very compelling speech he gave in November of last year, entitled "Fear, Complexity, & Environmental Management in the 21st Century". There is a link to it (proprietary, so I shouldn't reproduce it here) on the cover page of Crichton's Website . <br><br>I would be really interested in hearing some of your opinions of his views.