Warmest January On Record For Minnesota

[hatrack]

Duluth, Minn. — January in Minnesota was the warmest since modern records have been kept, more than 100 years.

But University of Minnesota climatologist Mark Seeley says one wimpy winter can't prove the climate is changing. He says there have been other warm Januarys, even strings of warm winters. The climate change community likes to tend to hang their hat on longer term trends," he says. "That is, measurements and patterns that are certainly of longer duration, and particularly those that fall outside the range of historical variability." Seeley says there is evidence of global warming, lots of places on Earth. He's studied the work of a Penn State researcher named Michael Mann.

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Some scientists say we're approaching a tipping point, where the changes could become irreversible, and we won't be able to go back to the climate we're used to. (ED. - climate scientist Peter) Ciborowski compares it to a fast drive on a dangerous road.

"You've got your foot down on pedal, you're going 90 miles an hour," he says. "You get very concerned that you're not going to be able to control the car; you're coming into terrain you don't know; maybe the weather conditions aren't right. The sensible thing is to slowly ease your foot off the gas pedal, until you have a better sense that in fact you're going to be able to survive the drive."

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http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2006/02/01_hemphills_warming/

[NickB79]

1. I just looked out my window here in MN, and the grass is green

It honestly looks like mid-March out there, temp in the 30's right now, sun shining. It's been crazy.

Just 10 years ago in January 1996, we had a record cold snap that dropped temps to -40F! Near the Canadian border the town of Embarrass, MN, hit -60F! Windchill temps were between -60 to -80F throughout the state! This winter I think we went down to -10F once, and whatever snow we get melts away in a week or two.

I could literally plant palm trees in MN if I knew this will be the norm from now on (there are select species of small palms that can survive down to -15F).

[Odin2005]

2. Quite Ironic, exactly 10 years ago it hit -60 in the Iron Range.

Seely is right on, though. You can't blame any single weather even on global warming, You have too look at long term trends. Seely was on MPR Mid-Morning yesterday, and he explained the warm weather we have had this winter and the cold weather in Europe are both tied to blocked Rossby waves (those are the meanders of the jet stream and associated upper level winds that stear air masses and weather systems). When the jet stream meanders south of us it pulls down cold arctic air from Canada; when it meanders north of us warm, wet air from the Gulf of Mexico or warm, dry air from the desert SW comes our way. If the jet stream is right over us we get Alberta clippers.