Unusual June heat wave

[phantom power]

An intense blast of heat set new daily high temperature marks in 14 states from Texas to Minnesota Tuesday, including a remarkable 103°F in Minneapolis. It was the hottest day in the city in nearly 23 years, since 105°F was recorded on July 31, 1988, and the second earliest date the city had ever hit 100°. Minneapolis' earliest 100° day came on May 31, 1934, when the mercury also hit 103°. Yesterday was the 5th consecutive day that the Austin, Texas Bergstrom Airport tied or set a new daily temperature record. On Monday, June 6, the airport hit 103°F, the earliest in the year that location had ever hit 103°. Record keeping began there in 1942, and the last time Austin was so warm so early in the year was on June 14, 1998, when the mercury hit 109°.

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=1820

[kristopher]

1. Is there a purpose to weather reports?

You know the difference between weather and climate, so why are you lately going the route of those who claim snowstorms disprove climate change?

[phantom power]

2. I think that people interested in environment and climate are interested in record-book weather.

[kristopher]

14. And deniers are interested in record cold spells.

Does that make their point valid? IMO all you're doing is validating their perspective, which I'd argue isn't a desirable thing to do.

Can't you find trend data instead?

[phantom power]

15. Worrying about who I might or might not validate, or what other people post -- above my paygrade.

:toast:

[NickB79]

16. The problem is that record cold spells don't invalidate global warming

In fact, numerous models point to larger temperature swings to either side of the average as the climate grows increasingly out of kilter. The problem isn't about posting record heat waves or record cold spells, but about the deniers being unable to grasp the basic science behind climate change.

If we have to pass everything we post through the "how will deniers misinterpret and twist this around?" filter, we probably should just shut down the E/E board altogether.

[kristopher]

17. That isn't true at all. The only thing that needs to be done is add in the link

to climate by presenting it as trend data that confirms the predictions.

[NickB79]

18. What's not true?

There are climate models that predict that some areas of the world will see increasingly erratic climates, including potential record cold snaps. When you put that much extra energy in the system, the climate will swing wildly trying to find a new balance.

And as for my claim that deniers will misinterpret whatever we post about climate change, do you really think that just posting the trend data will satisfy them, after we've been doing the same thing for years now?

[kristopher]

19. The last sentence you wrote isn't true.

I'm not looking to satisfy them, I'm hoping to encourage logical consistency in the presentation of information related to climate change.

It isn't complicated, weather isn't climate and pretending that it is makes the person doing the pretending look like a monkey no matter which political side they are on. It marks them as NOT being on the side of science.

[joshcryer]

26. There is no double standard. phantom powers' report reflects the overall trend.

Deniers' reports do not. How hard is this to grasp?

[joshcryer]

25. Which has been done and is therefore irrelevant for day to day communications on an environment...

...discussion forum.

[joshcryer]

24. phantom power is indeed posting on an ongoing trend.

The trend isn't "record colds" it's "record highs."

[joshcryer]

23. Correct, that includes scientists, see post #22.

[Richard D]

3. One record temperature is weather

When there's records set over and over again, it's a pattern.

[kenfrequed]

6. True...

Howevr I really wish the right wing anti-global warming people were equal opportunity alarmists. Throw a few snow flakes at them at any time in the yeah and its "global warming hya hwa ha..."

[Systematic Chaos]

7. Taking a brief hiatus from copy/paste to bitch about nothing, are we?

:eyes:

[XemaSab]

12. .

[Systematic Chaos]

20. Epic winning!

:rofl:

:yourock:

:hug:

[joshcryer]

22. Relative increase of record high maximum temperatures compared to record low minimum temperatures

http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2009/2009GL040736.shtml">Relative increase of record high maximum temperatures compared to record low minimum temperatures in the U.S.

The current observed value of the ratio of daily record high maximum temperatures to record low minimum temperatures averaged across the U.S. is about two to one. This is because records that were declining uniformly earlier in the 20th century following a decay proportional to 1/n (n being the number of years since the beginning of record keeping) have been declining less slowly for record highs than record lows since the late 1970s. Model simulations of U.S. 20th century climate show a greater ratio of about four to one due to more uniform warming across the U.S. than in observations. Following an A1B emission scenario for the 21st century, the U.S. ratio of record high maximum to record low minimum temperatures is projected to continue to increase, with ratios of about 20 to 1 by mid-century, and roughly 50 to 1 by the end of the century.

Difference is climate deniers use "record lows" to imply exactly the opposite, that is, they point out a cold snap as proof of the opposite of the observed effects, which is basically lying. It is not the same thing by a long shot.

[joshcryer]

28. Graphic:

[madrchsod]

4. 97 where i live-tied a 1953 record for june 7th

[barbtries]

5. damn i guess i should stop bitching.

here in NC it's only in the upper 90s, almost no chance of rain and terrible air quality. none of which is terribly unusual for NC of course.

i'm not from around here. i HATE the sweat in the south...

eta: did i say sweat? i meant summer.

[Hestia]

8. This year the heat came about 2 weeks earlier than last year horrendous heat wave

We went from cold, gray, rainy skies to 90 degrees in the space of 5 days. It's like August weather here now, with the ground already dusty from lack of rain and relentless heat. We've been setting records here too with the heat. Arkansas, btw.

[hatrack]

9. How dare you discuss record temperatures?! How DARE you?!?!??

:hi: :silly:

[kestrel91316]

10. Record highs seem to be increasingly blown right out of the water

instead of being broken by a degree or two.

[joshcryer]

27. Indeed, see post #22.

[XemaSab]

11. Up until two days ago

there were record low temps in California.

It's been in the high 50's and low 60's for weeks now, but yesterday and today it's popped up to normal. Normal being 89 degrees. :(

[joshcryer]

29. Remember last year when the east coast was having a freeze over...

...and freaking Greenland was enjoying spring-like conditions? :)

[truedelphi]

30. Sixty seven feet of snow was recorded in

Some areas of the Sierras! With snow still coming down on people there all this past weekend.

Yesterday and today - it's been awfully nice seeing that huge yellow thing up in the sky. It's been so long, I forget what we call it!

[AndyTiedye]

13. Come to Chilly California to Cool Off

Temps here are running 20 degrees below normal.

[Odin2005]

21. It was 94F in Fargo on Tuesday. Insane.

[Javaman]

31. Austin here...

I knew this summer was going to be awful, when we got our first 100 degree day in May. Never experienced that before.

It should be somewhere in the millions come August.