The most normal winter I’ve seen in a long time.

I’m not one to say that humans are totally responsible for climate change, but I think we’ve helped push it a long and create some adverse affects to our weather as a direct result of all the pollution we put out into the world. Nobody can argue that we ought to be better stewards of this planet.

I live in southern Ohio. It’s far enough north that it’s had some severe winter weather in its past. I’m not from Ohio, but the locals often tell stories of crazy blizzards and Arctic temperatures blasting the area in years past. I moved here in 2012. The winters of 2012 and 2013 were legit winters. Cold, with plenty of snow. But since then, every winter has been short and warm with little to no snow.

Now, I’m just wondering with some anecdotal evidence if 2020’s reduced carbon emissions have had a reverse effect on the weather. I say that because this years winter has been an actual winter. We had snow on Christmas, cold temperatures and multiple snow storms dropping more of the white stuff than I’ve seen in my 9 years here. It’s got the attention of most of the locals, many of whom are complaining constantly about the cold/snowy weather. (Personally, I love having four different seasons...but that’s just me)

For perspective, last spring started in February. The year before that we got warm in March and never looked back. It’s made for some really long months of warm weather. Winters have been all rain and practically no snow until this year. At least, for the previous 6 years.

So, we now that pollution receded quite a bit over the summer with no cars on the road. City skylines opened back up as we closed down. I’m not a weather expert and I know that correlation does not mean causation. But it’s worth noting and considering as a possibility, no?

To add context, here’s an article mentioning how it’s the most snowfall the area has seen since 2008. Snowfall

To be clear, I’m not arguing for or against human-caused climate change. I’m simply speculating if we are seeing a rapid atmospheric response from the reduced carbon output from humans due to Covid restrictions. If that were true, then one might argue that human-caused climate change can be quickly reversed instead of permanently doomed.

What are you all seeing with this winter? Is it a geographically “normal” winter? Or is it just as it has been in recent years?

a reply to: Assassin82

Way down here in Louisiana, we're about to set record lows. We're forecasted for an inch of ice Sunday, 5 inches of snow Monday with a low of 7° not including wind chill (previous record low was 21°), below freezing Tue, freezing rain Wed and freezing rain Thur. A winter storm we haven't seen in decades, but colder. The Earth is shifting, this is causing warmer weather in some places and colder weather in others.

a reply to: Assassin82

My wife mentioned months ago, "now that the (commercial) aircraft aren't flying, we're getting normal amounts of rain again". And winter has returned in force (location is Europe north of the Alps).

Not necessarily a link, but one wonders.

Cheers

a reply to: Assassin82

I remember much more snow when I was young.
Let's say late 70s to early 80s.
There was a large church parking lot that was basically my back yard and we would dig tunnels in the plowed snow banks. The piles were huge some years.
My parents lived in that house until a few years ago and I could see how big the piles of snow got though the years.
There is definitely less snowfall now compared to my childhood.

I'm not a believer in man causing climate change but I absolutely believe it has changed.

Wife and I were just talking about this. We've had more snow in Chicago than I can recall in several years. The winters for at least the past 5 or so years have been fairly mild (at least by Chicago standards) and the snow fall not very much. We've got about a foot or so of snow on the ground and I can't recall when we've had this much snow it has been so long.

I will say the winter was mild right up until about last week when we got dumped on with the snow and now the temps are brutally cold (single digits).

To be frank, I am all for global warming... I hate cold winters.

The only thing I see off this winter is that plows are not plowing at night. Pa has had three big storms with not that much snow. Yet even knowing ahead if time and the roads were dangerous. 11 at night with 5 straight hours or snow fall with no effort by the state. I started noticing plowed roads two years ago. I wonder where my state tax is going?

Not just a normal winter but one with a white Christmas. Haven't seen one of those in ages. It was nice.

Stay safe out there. Take it slow and you'll make it home.

This winter is been cold in the south, with that said, I do not believe in global warming created by humans.

People do not follow the history of our planet earth, the only reason earth have cold seasons is because we entered an ice age created by what scientist think was a catastrophic event that killed the dinosaurs.

Now got back and research what the clima of earth was before that ice age, that BTW we are at the end of it, meaning that is why we are warming again, yes, earth before the ice age was a swampy, wet land with a lot of steam and active volcanos .

And that is where we are heading, again, unless we get another ice age,

Global warming is just going back to what earth was to begin with. But now is money to be made.

I live on the Washington coast. I moved out here February of 2012. This has been the warmest winner I've seen here yet. I had thought it was due to the pole shift we're going through. I've been wrong before and will be again. Who knows.

a reply to: Assassin82

If it's the most normal for a long time, then it's not normal.

Someone had to say it.

Here in Oregon, same thing. I do believe it is due to geoengineering. Winters that force closures of any kind are bad for business. So a side effect of opening shipping lanes and deep sea oil drilling in the North Pole by means of geoengineering, is that we will continue to have warmer winters. The downfall is that we get the blame when it’s really corporations and government destroying natural climates for personal gain.

originally posted by: uncommitted
a reply to: Assassin82

If it's the most normal for a long time, then it's not normal.

Someone had to say it.

Not when the previous years were “abnormal”. I guess. But glad you said it anyways.

If the earth is warming where I live must be turning into the new north pole. Years or record low temps for winters and summers.

originally posted by: F2d5thCavv2
My wife mentioned months ago, "now that the (commercial) aircraft aren't flying, we're getting normal amounts of rain again". And winter has returned in force (location is Europe north of the Alps).

Compliments to Mrs. Cav for an astute observation.

There has definitely been a steady increase in commercial air traffic over the past 60 years. It's never steadied and it's never tapered off (til now).

I remember seeing the air pollution (which had settled) accumulate around the edges of our lake when I was a kid. It was like someone had laid down a sheen of oil and it just lapped its way up to the shoreline. I asked my dad and he said that's what air pollution was ... not smokestacks roiling out all kinds of smoke, but oily fuel exhaust/residue falling from jets flying overhead.

There was an article in January I believe about how mild the winters have been in Michigan the last few years. That includes this year as well. This week is the first week of consistent temps in the 20s, teens or single digits and it's already February. We usually have that by December.

a reply to: Assassin82

Weather is, and has always been - cyclical. Everything in this world we live in is cyclical.

There are larger cycles and smaller ones within.

Everything is a micro of a macro.

a reply to: Bluntone22

originally posted by: Bluntone22
I remember much more snow when I was young.
Let's say late 70s to early 80s.
There was a large church parking lot that was basically my back yard and we would dig tunnels in the plowed snow banks. The piles were huge some years.

I'm sure my memory is off a little bit, but I feel like when I was a kid in Indiana, once it snowed maybe in early November, the ground would mostly remain covered until mid-late March.

And sometimes those big piles would still be there until late April, and occasionally even into the beginning of May. (of course that was just small dirty piles of old snow, but still a pile of snow regardless)

It hasn't been like that for a long time, but it is starting to feel much closer to that right now, than it has for quite a few years.

a reply to: Assassin82

Here in SW France we are just getting over another mild winter. Not too many frosts so far and no snow.

It's been like this for a few winters now, incredibly mild and very short.

I like mother nature being unpredictable. If it's milder.

Snowed in Florida when I went there about 35 years ago...lol Had the place to ourselves.

a reply to: Snarl

I noticed a big uptick in Europe after the Wall came down. All kinds of new routes and new operators.

Cheers

The cold is still there. It has just been locked over on the other side of the world. While we haven't had arctic air until this past week, it has been gracing Siberia with it's balmy presence. Our weather man had been pointing that one out. Now the prevailing atmospheric conditions have allowed it to escape and ooze back on to our half of the world for these next two weeks at least.

Things over there have been wicked cold while we've been really mild.

But it wasn't that long ago that we had the winter where the ice on the great lakes got so established that our summer stayed really cool too. I remember that year because it got so cold that we had a bird squeeze under our garage door trying to find warmth. It got into our house and the cats were really excited about it. It was within the last 10 years because our son was also really excited about it.

a reply to: BrokenCircles

I agree.
Football with my cousins in the snow on Thanksgiving was pretty normal and so was a white Christmas.
Those have both been rare recently.