Glenn Beck can bite me
Jan. 1st, 2011 10:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
violetcheetahI'm a weather geek, so I found the latest Public Information Statement interesting. Unlike Glenn, I know that not only does one blizzard not disprove global warming, but even an entire year is only a snippet of real climate. Yeah, 2010 was "within the top five warmest years on record" for the Boston area; all 4 cities listed had close to twice as many 90-degree days as the 30-year average from 1971-2000.
But what struck me most was the pattern of precipitation. Boston was 7 inches above average for total yearly precip, but had 14 days less of measurable precip than average. Because it had 4 days more in which it got an inch or more. Four isn't a lot of days, unless the average is 10. Forty percent over average for days with big storms. Providence had 15 days of an inch or more, compared to an average of 12: big deal, only 20 percent over average. Hartford: 13 to 12; Worcester: 18 to 13.
So, just like the models predict for a warming planet, we had more hot days, more dry days, and more freakish storms.
Happy 2011. Glad I bought a spiffy raincoat with a lifetime guarantee and Yak-trax.
But what struck me most was the pattern of precipitation. Boston was 7 inches above average for total yearly precip, but had 14 days less of measurable precip than average. Because it had 4 days more in which it got an inch or more. Four isn't a lot of days, unless the average is 10. Forty percent over average for days with big storms. Providence had 15 days of an inch or more, compared to an average of 12: big deal, only 20 percent over average. Hartford: 13 to 12; Worcester: 18 to 13.
So, just like the models predict for a warming planet, we had more hot days, more dry days, and more freakish storms.
Happy 2011. Glad I bought a spiffy raincoat with a lifetime guarantee and Yak-trax.