Global warming real? Then why is the weather so cold?

Question

I read a recent article on Yahoo news saying Minnesota has hit a record -40 degrees, surpassing their previous record of -37........ in 1967!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080212/ap_on_re_us/cold_weather

This article got me thinking: How can global warming be increasing temperatures if some fair temperature locales, say the U.S., are experiencing severe cold weather? It just doesn't make any sense. If the arctic icecaps are melting, they should try moving down to Minnesota!

Answer 1

Think about it... how much would the one degree of warming so far affect Minnesota's winter temperatures of 40 below?  

A few days or months of weather, in one location, say nothing about long term global climate trends, do they?

You're asking about weather (local, short term variations), not climate, long term trends that determine what survives in your local ecosystem, including the food that you eat.

As noted by NASA, NOAA, etc., Northern Hemisphere temperatures are temporarily being affected by a strong La Nina cooling cycle:

http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/2...

The El Nino / La Nina cycles do temporarily overpower and mask the underlying gradual warming trend, but they do nothing to stop it.

The progression in scientific understanding is explained in detail by a physicist/historian on this site:

www.aip.org/history/climate/co2.htm

Impacts of Global Warming

http://www.aip.org/history/climate/impac...

The Discovery of Global Warming

http://www.aip.org/history/climate/index...

The author Spencer R. Weart is Director of the Center for History of Physics of the American Institute of Physics (AIP) in College Park, Maryland, USA.

His own informed conclusions regarding global warming are posted here:

http://www.aip.org/history/climate/SWnot...

Here are summaries of some of their latest research into carbon cycle science and what to do to mitigate the damage, which is being conducted across more than a dozen federal agencies:

http://co2conference.org/agenda.asp

http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/sa...

Answer 2

did anone watch that "six degrees could change the world" show?

IT WAS AMAZING

:)

and will mosty likely answer your question

Answer 3

They've got an answer for that. They now called it "Climate Change" so anything slightly unusual can still be blamed on that!

Answer 4

+1 for the 'if global warming is real, why is one small localized area colder' answer posse.

Localized areas that are colder are not a reflection of the overall environment.

Answer 5

Bob's answer is good.  Just wanted to add that global warming is about climate, not weather.

Answer 6

If you go for the data in the past 50 yrs. you will see the avg. temp. & sea level has increased significantly. This all is due to Global Warming which is increasing at alarming rate.

Answer 7

I also recall that la nina is causing some anomalies in temperatures. Remember, were looking at climate, not weather here. Patience is a key. We need long term data and I think you will see that we are still warming despite a cold winter.

Answer 8

look up weather and climate in the dictionary

its here

www.dictionary.com

Answer 9

So now climate is different than weather???

right... you guys run with that.

Rate you right there with "The sun has no impact on global warming."

Man made global warming is myth.

Answer 10

Because global warming is not a blowtorch that eliminates winter. It's a small but steady increase in AVERAGE temperature that will cause great damage if we do nothing.

For a short time, in some places, winter weather can overcome global warming. But, long run, over the whole Earth, the AVERAGE temperature is increasing. NASA data:

http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/2007/

We need to do something about that.

Answer 11

There's is alot written to the contrary of global warming from other scientist.....remember, there has been evidence of this happening before in the earths history from geological studies, that dont make the evening news or our history books, so global warming is probably real, but we are using politics as an anchor to achieve global changes over this issue, this is where it gets dangerous.