As I write this, snow flakes are slowly falling at a streetlight outside of my window. It has been mostly cold since around October of last year.. Autumn, winter.. that’s fine. But it has been spring now for weeks, Easter was early (And cold) and we are now facing a late-April night of snow showers that, at least in some towns here in the Anthracite land, is sticking to roadways and sidewalks…..
But it is not just Pennsylvania. Not just the Northeast.
Michigan: The five coldest Aprils in Lansing were 1874, 1907, 1868, 1926 and 1950. Our current April is pacing as the second coldest April.
Minnesota: The National Weather Service says, so far this month, the average temperature is 24 degrees, which is 19.9 degrees below the normal temperature of 43.9.
SPORTS: Elwood Grill is usually jam-packed with Tigers fans, but employees are feeling the pain. First on opening day, then more postponed games. The Yankees were sent home after some postponements and now – more April snow.
Wisconsin: Snow is going to stick around a little while longer, with forecasts calling for more than four inches in La Crosse on Wednesday.
Just think! As I write this post, MOST OF FLORIDA has been below 60 degrees all day. This April’s cold has rivaled 1983 and 1997 in early spring cold..
SO THE BIG QUESTION: WHY!!
Winter just won’t end! The pain is real.
Cold temperatures are the result of a stationary mass of warm air over North Atlantic that has blocked the normal flow of air from west to east and south to north. This warm air mass has altered the flow of the Jet Stream creating a strong northwesterly flow aloft. Thus, bringing a pile of cold air down from the Arctic.
And it will change. Not as soon as some would like.. not as quick for some who hate the cold wrath of Old Man Winter.
Leaves aren’t growing.. grass is dull.. The land’s still cold. In this spring’s lull.
……but yes things will grow again. Plants will bloom. I hope.
And heat waves? Sure, they’ll show up.
…..however a reminder is in order.
DATELINE SPRING/SUMMER 1816
1816 is known as the Year Without a Summer (also the Poverty Year and Eighteen Hundred and Froze To Death) because of severe climate abnormalities that caused average global temperatures to decrease by 0.4–0.7 °C (0.7–1.3 °F). This resulted in major food shortages across the Northern Hemisphere. Evidence suggests that the anomaly was predominantly a volcanic winter event caused by the massive 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in the Dutch East Indies (the largest eruption in at least 1,300 years after the extreme weather events of 535–536), perhaps exacerbated by the 1814 eruption of Mayon in the Philippines.
In November 2017? A story appeared. A story about a volcano’s eruption that could cool the planet.
…..2018? A YEAR WITHOUT A SUMMER?
