A look at the April 14 northern hemisphere sea ice and land snow cover extents since 2006 reveals an unexpected shift to increasing extents, particularly of Spring snow cover. After more than a decade of no upward trend in global average temperature is this change an indication of coming global cooling?
Fargo, ND has not yet recorded a temperature as high as 40° F in 2013. Other areas of the northern tier of the US are experiencing one of the most prolonged cold and snowy winters in memory. Snowfall depths are of such magnitude that there is great concern for river flooding when warm temperatures finally do arrive. I looked at Fargo's weather forecast for the next week and noted that snow was forecast through Thursday with a chance that the thermometer might reach 40° F on Saturday. Saturday night may bring more snow.
This prompted me to lake a look at the University of Illinois' "Cryosphere Today" website wherein can be found a fairly decent image-based record of northern hemisphere ice extend on a daily basis. Beginning in 2006, the images include records of snow extent over lands of the northern hemisphere. I had not anticipated what I would find. Take a look for yourself at the following comparison of snow and ice extents in the northern hemisphere on April 14 of this year with every year since 2006, except 2009 when no image is available (click image for larger, clearer image in a new window):
Each set of two images compares sea ice and snowfall extent for a past year with the extent that existed on April 14 of this year. Eariest comparison is at upper left, dates progress forward going down and continue in the second column.
Note that sea ice extent hasn't changed dramatically, but in the past two years is notably more than in previous years. The increase in snow cover extent is quite dramatic when compared with prior years, particularly over North America. It is worth noting that many areas near the southern terminus of the snow extend have significant snow depth, suggesting that this feature will remain for some considerable time.
While this is anecdotal evidence, we know that if the trends were revealing an opposite change, i.e., diminishing snow and ice extents, those who stubbornly cling to the pseudo-science of the greenhouse effect and human-caused-global-warming from minuscule additions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere would be loudly trumpeting this change. Yet they simply look the other way.
For those living in the real world, we'll rely on our thermometers and common sense. Though we do have real science in our corner, too (not that that means much to the warmist crowd).
Author of "Looking Out the Window", an evidence-based examination of the "climate change" issue, Bob Webster, is a 12th-generation descendent of both the Darte family (Connecticut, 1630s) and the Webster family (Massachusetts, 1630s). He is a descendant of Daniel Webster's father, Revolutionary War patriot Ebenezer Webster, who served with General Washington. Bob has always had a strong interest in early American history, our Constitution, U.S. politics, and law. Politically he is a constitutional republican with objectivist and libertarian roots. He has faith in the ultimate triumph of truth and reason over deception and emotion. He is a strong believer in our Constitution as written and views the abandonment of constitutional restraint by the regressive Progressive movement as a great danger to our Republic. His favorite novel is Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand and believes it should be required reading for all high school students so they can appreciate the cost of tolerating the growth of unconstitutional crushingly powerful central government. He strongly believes, as our Constitution enshrines, that the interests of the individual should be held superior to the interests of the state.
A lifelong interest in meteorology and climatology spurred his strong interest in science. Bob earned his degree in Mathematics at Virginia Tech, graduating in 1964.
Cover
•
Commentary
•
Books & Reviews
•
Climate Change
•
Site Links
•
Feedback
