new year

[mac]

After bizarre and extreme weather patterns in spring and summer in many parts of this world the end of 2021 continues in the same vein. Today small cities around Denver, CO are in the news - even in the UK - as localized wildfires break out in the depths of winter.

A couple of months ago certain coastal regions of British Columbia, Canada, were inundated by torrential rain and the consequent flooding, mudslides and landslips after a scorching spring with early wildfires. The UK is experiencing balmy, humid weather originating thousands of miles south and many other parts of the world are facing extreme conditions.

What will the new year bring us, I wonder, as this world continues to look for ways to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels?

 

[bluebird]

The northeastern U.S., particularly along the shore in NJ/Maryland/Delaware, is getting its first snow of the year. Not a major storm, but a good 6 inches or so in some places, according to the weather people on the news. The system hasn't travelled as far north as NY or New England, nor has it really gone inland. This is normal for this time of year, of course -- but on Saturday (New Year's Day), the weather in the northeast was mild, in the upper 50s, which is not so normal for December/January.

Unfortunately, this planet is probably facing a future of daily weather which will be increasingly divergent from that which previously has been normal and expected. I hope we can pull back from the brink, but I suspect we have already passed the tipping point and are in descent.

 

[mac]

Still some mighty extremes of weather around.... I've heard climatologists say the jetstream may behave very differently as the earth's climate gets ever warmer.