In Defense of Snow, Sort Of

Once upon a time, before I moved to Wisconsin, I found the old classic "White Christmas" to be a lovely little film. The music was sweet and Bing Crosby charming - as long as one didn't dwell on the fact that he was apparently uncharming in his real life. And the movie's closing scene, when the stage doors swung open to reveal a fantasy of falling snow, made me wish that I too lived in a winter wonderland.

Of course, that was before I did. Live in one. Last winter in Madison, we received 101.4 fluffy white inches, a historic high. So far - at least based on this December - we're apparently set to surpass that.. Since the start of the month, more than 28 inches of snow have fallen, compared to the normal monthly snowfall of 7.4 inches. Having grown up in the South - Louisiana, Georgia, you know what I mean - my tendency is to see this as just wrong, completely wrong.

Of course, these days others also appear to be suffering the environment of a perpetually shaken snowglobe - the Pacific Northwest, the Northeast, okay, much of the country, Canada, Europe. And all of them have my personal sympathy. I do not count the few inches reported in Las Vegas and other unlikely spots; we on the Midwestern tundra do not regard that as "real" snow.

But there are those who do take that Las Vegas snow seriously, alarmingly so. Last week, CNN meterologist Chad Myers used that unexpected storm to promote his opinion that the world's major research institutions have been wrong about global climate change: "You know, to think that we could affect weather all that much is pretty arrogant," Myers told host Lou Dobbs, explaining that "Mother Nature was too big" to be affected by human activities.

My information here is based on news reports as I am continuing that personal boycott of CNN, which I wrote about last week. But by all accounts Dobbs agreed with Myers, stating that snow in the desert could mean that global warming was all a big mistake. Yes, this comes from the same network that fired its well-trained environmental and reporting staff this month. Not that those reporters could have necessarily could influence Dobb's opinion. But they might have been able to add some rational balance to the network's reporting of events.

Because Dobb and his conveniently agreeable meteorologist just happen to have missed the important part of the story. Climatologists had already announced that the Earth is entering a cooler period, related to a regular cycle of shifting ocean currents, which occur about every 70 years, and which cycle warmer waters away from the Northern Hemisphere, reducing the amount of heat energy released from the oceans in our direction. They suggest that this chilling effect may continue for a number of years, masking the effects of manmade gases building up in the atmosphere.

The World Meteorological Association reports 2008 is the ninth warmest year on record, regardless of those blizzards sweeping across North America at the moment.

Maybe the real message is that we should appreciate the snow while we've got it; value the way our fragile planet attempts to set itself right. I'm still not a Crosby fan. But I'm willing to go, for the moment, with the spirit of the song: "May your days be merry and bright. And may all your Christmases [or any of your December holidays] be white."

Comments

[WilliePilgrim]

There's a word describing those who judge the accuracey of information based on how closely it adheres to one's preconcieved ideas. If CNN is fine when it agrees with you, but terrible if it doesn't, then I suggest one should check out more sources that actually disagree with one's strongly held ideas to find out why they believe that, exactly, rather than just listen to the same reinforcing blather.
And forget the idea that the purpose of any major news source is to keep you informed. It's to make a profit and they do it by keeping your eyeballs rivetted to the screen throughtout the commercial messages. Wake up and do some serious reading from all perspectives. Stop buyin' the sizzle.
I have no doubt that human impacts are affecting the planet's ability to provide for us and our growing billions, but the story as it's being told is so simplified, or perhaps "dumbed down" for the consuming masses, as to be a joke if not an actual lie. The truth may be out there but don't look to the greens, or blues or red...look at the entire spectrum and see for yourself...even if you have to turn off your favorite TV show once in a while. Yeah, I know that sounds drastic, but rest assured you'll rest better for it.

[DerekRC]

Global Warming advocates are the modern day "flat earthers". The history of global warming/global cooling alarmists runs long and deep, and changes every 40 years or so. Apparently depending on the current warming/cooling trend that was last disproved.

When will they learn... they won't.

When will you learn... it's up to you.

[loril]

Living along the shores of Lake Erie, I am used to snow through April. The weather here has been unusual this holiday season. When I went to bed Monday night, it was 2 degrees F. It remained frigid on Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday were "seasonal" (in the 20s and 30s with snow flurries). By Saturday we had temperatures in the high 60s...almost 70 F.

I am not a meteorologist. I don't know how "crazy" this is historically. I do know it wreaks havoc on my sinuses. Today, we appear to be heading back to winter again.

[KillTheMessenger]

They still don't teach the difference between weather and climate in US schools?

[doctorj2u]

On December 11 of this year, I received a miracle. For the first time in my life I saw real snow. Why is this a miracle? I live in southern Louisiana. It was beautiful and definitely worth the 4 days without electricity. My only worry is the meaning. It snowed the Christmas before Katrina hit. Does this mean anothr terrible storm is coming? I hope not. For now will enjoy the memory of the beautiful snow.

[babyboomerorig]

I live about 50 miles north of Madison. The snow is horrible and up here the roads off the interstate aren't all that great... but it's a heck of a lot better than the ice my family's driving on in NW IN.

When we were growing up on the farm in IN, it was nothing to have 10-12" of snow at a time. There were years that we had to take tractors through the barren fields (because the wind had blown all the snow off the fields into the ditches and road) to get to town for groceries, or at least up to my grandparents for fresh milk and butter (grandma churned her own). Veggies were grown in the summer and canned or frozen for winter. We had our own cattle and pigs for meat.

The seasons seemed to change for years, giving us less snow during Dec & Jan, then hitting really hard in early to mid March.

What I've personally been seeing for over 50 years is that creatures are gone or going. Some of them may seem insignificant, but they've all had a purpose. One bug eats another, some stave off crop killers, some take pollen from one plant to another. This is my concern. There aren't as many bumble bees to pollenate...the old garden spiders have vanished and I haven't seen a garden snake in years. Flowers aren't as vibrant as they used to be. Everything is different than is was just 50 years ago.

[RTIII]

Welcome to the polluting effects of mankind and his (our) civilization.
.

[fumes]

''value the way our fragile planet attempts to set itself right.'' the planet isn't fragile deborah, we are.

[RTIII]

The problem here is the popularization of the phraise - however true - of "global warming." The CORRECT "scientific term" is "Global Climate Change."

Global Climate Change is being _driven_ by global warming. But with all the emphasis on heat - "warming" - it leads the scientifically unsophisticated astray; there thereby see snow when there shouldn't be any or should be less and say, "see, told you it was a bunch of malarky!"

Note that even in this article it is acknowledged that this is within the ten hottest years on record. Even with the cooling and snow, there's more heat globally than our climate has seen of late.

In other words, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US needs to start using the correct term: Global Climate Change.

Thank you for paying attention - words _do_ matter!
.

[edva]

Yes, there are brief periods of snow and extreme cold, but they are getting shorter. See how quickly things warm up after the storms pass. It is indeed our planet trying to stabilize, but it's not working.
Eventually, we will recognize that our backs are against the wall, and we will re-act. Eventually.

[JScott]

Everyone GET A CLUE Las Vegas is located in the HIGH DESERT at about 2000 ft elevation much like Barstow, Lancaster, Victorville and Palmdale, it is NOT unusualt to sometimes get snow there!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!

Now it if you get snow in Palm Springs, El Centro, Phoenix, or Yuma, that would be a story!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fumes]

nola or texas?

[sophieozz]

Even so, how are your heating bills?

[blueshift]

I'm a little baffled that such incoherence is coming from a science journalist. To paraphrase the proposition: there is global warming, but we're in a regular cooling cycle? It wasn't that long ago ago when we were wondering about the opposite effect, global cooling? (Remember? We called it "nuclear winter.")

My point, as one who strongly believes that manmade climatological effects are already in play, is that it would be more honestly scientific to admit that the current cooling cycle is a Kuhnian anomaly to the global warming paradigm....that we simply don't have enough data.

That global climatological shifts would be cause by converting the earth's natural resources from one form to another, to obtain the energy released, is a no-brainer. But an scientifically uncomprehending public will never be convinced of a global warming paradigm when the snow is piling up in unusual places and the mercury reads lower than it did last year.

The theory needs to be clear, concise, and logical. A wheels-within-wheel explanation isn't going to get it done. We need a better theory.

(BTW, I also am boycotting CNN, but my boycott began a long time ago, when it was apparent that CNN is not a journalistic operation....it's just a low-cost entertainment medium depending on glitz to mask its lack of meaningful content. CNN is just like Faux News, except that CNN doesn't stand for anything.)

[UnknownSoldier]

I couldnt agree with you more about CNN, this last election cycle really showed CNN true colors.