Rainfall, Snow, and Cold Records around the World

[kenl01]

Record Ice in Arctic Ocean

Icy reality cools the climate cultists
Thursday, July 31, 2008 at 02:07am 

DAILY, new evidence emerges to demonstrate that Climate Minister Penny Wong is wrong.

The latest blow to the Government’s apocalyptic prophet is news from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute that there is more ice than normal in the Arctic waters north of the Svalbard archipelago.

According to the Barents Observer there are open areas in this area in most years during July - but this year the area is covered by ice.

A fortnight ago a Norwegian research ship, Lance, and a Swedish ship, MV Stockholm, got stuck in the ice in the area and needed to be freed by the Norwegian Coast Guard.

Once again real time events and science have defeated Senator Wong and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, despite their constant refrain that human-induced climate change is already occurring and we must act now to protect our prosperity and way of life.

Among them is Dr S. Fred Singer, professor emeritus of environmental sciences at the University of Virginia, who established and served as the first director of the US Weather Satellite Service, now part of the global National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (the universally respected NOAA), and is a former chief scientist of the US Department of Transportation.

Singer and a team of renowned international scientists earlier this year published a report titled “Nature, Not Human Activity, Rules the Climate”, under the banner of the Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (N).

It should be mandatory reading for all who wish to participate in the climate debate - be they policymakers, private individuals or representatives of business organisations.

http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/piersakerman/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/icy_reality_cools_the_climate_cultists/

[kenl01]

Epic snow in New Zealand 31 Jul 08 -

The New Zealand resort of Mount Hutt
has received over a meter (more than three feet) of
snow in the last 36 hours and the mountain is currently
closed due to blizzard conditions. Experts predict at
least another meter before the weather clears.



http://www.powderhound.co.nz/methven.html

[kenl01]

Severe Cold in Peru 

31 Jul 08 - The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has provided urgently needed medical supplies to poor farmers in the Peruvian highlands whose livestock are suffering as a result of a severe unseasonable cold spell.

The antiparasitic medicines, antibiotics and vitamins are being used to treat some 18,000 alpacas in the country’s Pilpichaca en Huanvavelica district that have been weakened or fallen ill as a result of the unexpected cold snap.

This year, the cold arrived well ahead of the usual season - in March and April, instead of June - and many small-scale farmers have not been able to harvest their crops.

The early arrival of the cold weather has greatly affected alpaqueros - smallholders in high-altitude areas whose livelihoods depend completely on raising alpacas. Pastures have been covered in snow which has frozen over, making grazing impossible. Unable to find adequate food, the alpacas have become weak and susceptible to disease.

The gravity of the situation has led the Peruvian Government to declare a state of emergency in 11 of the country’s 25 provinces.

While FAO is warning of possible increased livestock sickness and mortality in September in the high Andes of central and southern Peru, where alpaca production depends on natural pastures that have been extremely affected.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27537&Cr=&Cr1=

[rainstorm]

3 feet  of snow? thats  incredible!!

[kenl01]

 Two temperature records were set or tied in July in Great Falls,MT, one dating back more than a century. 2 Aug 08 –

“An overnight low of 39 degrees on July 11 broke the daily record of 40 degrees set in 1897, said Ed Kurdy hydro-meteorological technician with the Weather Service.”

The other July daily record occurred July 12, when the low was 40 degrees, tying the mark set in 2004.

“The mean average of highs and lows was 67.9 degrees for July this year, much cooler than the 76.8 degree average in 2007.”

See entire article by Ryan Hall, Tribune staff writer:
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080802/NEWS01/808020308/1002

[rainstorm]

i wish we would  have some record  lows  in august.

[kenl01]

Don't worry we are likely to see cooler conditions beginning Aug.10th as a trough builds into the Great Lakes and East Coast.

[kenl01]

Fantastic photos of the Franz Josef Glacier



Advance Begins


The Franz Josef Glacier May 2004. This photograph was taken at the earliest known time when the terminal face started to show signs of advancing. The trimlines from the 1983 to 1999 advance are clearly visible.



The terminal face started to rise in height for several months before pushing forward. At the time of initial movement the terminus butted up against the steep sided gorge of the old Fletchers Bridge site. Parts of the Fletchers Bridge anchor sites were visible at the time these photographs were taken in June 11th, and 16th 2004 respectively. Due to the topography of the gorge the first wave of ice buildup was directed towards upward, not forward motion.


By October 2004 a substantial Icecliff was overiding the lip of the gorge and forward movement of the glacier was underway. Falling blocks of ice clearly demonstrate one of the many hazards of approaching an advancing glacier.



These two photographs show the rapid advancement of ice from October 2004 to May 2005, combining substantial forward movement with a considerable gain in height of the terminal face.

May 2005

Changes in ice volume in the first year of advance are clearly evident in this photograph (compare with May 2004 photograph at top of page). Note the February 2003 outburst moraine passing through the defiance section of the glacier. In another three years it will arrive at the Terminus.

29 Jul 08 - Blair Campbell has spent the last five years guiding tourists on the glacier, when it was both retreating and advancing, witnessing many changes to the glacier and the surrounding landscape. Blair has accumulated more than 2000 photographs of the glacier and its environment.

See more photos
http://icebalance.googlepages.com

[kenl01]

Last Ice Age happened in less than one year, say scientists

2 Aug 08 - The last ice age 13,000 years ago took hold in just one year, more than ten times quicker than previously believed, scientists have warned.
Rather than a gradual cooling over a decade, the ice age plunged Europe into the deep freeze, German Research Centre for Geosciences at Potsdam said.

Cold, stormy conditions caused by an abrupt shift in atmospheric circulation froze the continent almost instantly during the Younger Dryas less than 13,000 years ago – a very recent period on a geological scale.

The new findings will add to fears of a serious risk of this happening again in the UK and western Europe – and soon.

Dr Achim Brauer, of the GFZ (GeoForschungs Zentrum) German Research Centre for Geosciences at Potsdam, and colleagues analysed annual layers of sediments, called "varves", from a German crater lake.

Each varve records a single year, allowing annual climate records from the region to be reconstructed.

See entire article by Angus Howarth:
http://news.scotsman.com/scitech/Last-Ice-Age-happened-in.4351045.jp

[kenl01]

Hawaiian chill: 6 Aug 08 -
Maui breaks record for coldest temps - Maui County experienced a record low 64 degrees on Sunday that combined with steady afternoon showers to provide another near record 65 degrees on Monday, before the daytime temperature zipped up to a high of 91 degrees that afternoon.
http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/506834.html?nav=10

[kenl01]

Heavy Rains hit New England, South August 08, 2008

Heavy rain Thursday swamped the capital city of Vermont. The drainage system in Montpelier was hit with so much rain at once that the back-up flooded parts of the city downtown with about 2 feet of water.
Thursday, Memphis, Tenn., set a daily rain record with 2.93 inches, more than an inch above the previous record.
http://premiuma.accuweather.com/adcbin/premium/news-regional.asp?region=eastusnews

[rainstorm]

i wish we could  have some record  lows here.

[kenl01]

That would be nice ! 

[kenl01]

Unusually cold August in Alaska so far 8 Aug 08 -

Fairbanks,AK is averaging -7.8 F below normal as of August 8th, while Barrow,AK is averaging -3.9 below normal, Anchorage at -2.8 below normal, and Nome,AK at -7.7 F below normal !   

http://premiuma.accuweather.com/adcbin/premium/pastyear.asp?zipcode=99701

Fairbanks,AK
Aug-2008 Monthly Totals
Highest Temperature (Aug. 1) 62 Total Precip 1.13
Lowest Temperature (Aug. 3) 43 Total Snowfall 0
Average Temperature 51.5 Normal Precip 1.74
Departure from Norm -7.8
Precip Percentage 65%
Heating Degree Days 107 Precip Departure -0.61
Nrml Heating Degree Days 283
Cooling Degree Days 0 Nrml Cooling Degree Days


Barrow,AK Data
Highest Temperature (Aug. 3) 45 Total Precip 0.2
Lowest Temperature (Aug. 1) 30 Total Snowfall 0
Average Temperature 36.5 Normal Precip 1.04
Departure from Norm -3.9
Precip Percentage 19%
Heating Degree Days 202 Precip Departure -0.84
Nrml Heating Degree Days 815
Cooling Degree Days 0 Nrml Cooling Degree Days 0
http://premiuma.accuweather.com/adcbin/premium/pastYear.asp?zipcode=barrow,ak


Anchorage,AK
Aug-2008 Monthly Totals
Highest Temperature (Aug. 7) 66 Total Precip 0.22
Lowest Temperature (Aug. 8, 42 Total Snowfall 0
Average Temperature 55 Normal Precip 2.93
Departure from Norm -2.8
Precip Percentage 8%
Heating Degree Days 78 Precip Departure -2.71
Nrml Heating Degree Days 268
Cooling Degree Days 0 Nrml Cooling Degree Days 0
http://premiuma.accuweather.com/adcbin/premium/pastYear.asp?zipcode=anchorage,ak


Nome,AK
Aug-2008 Monthly Totals
Highest Temperature (Aug. 2) 53 Total Precip 0.36
Lowest Temperature (Aug. 5) 34 Total Snowfall 0
Average Temperature 44.5 Normal Precip 3.23
Departure from Norm -7.7
Precip Percentage 11%
Heating Degree Days 143 Precip Departure -2.87
Nrml Heating Degree Days 446
Cooling Degree Days 0 Nrml Cooling Degree Days

[kenl01]

Maine tourism industry suffering due to weather

12 Aug 08 - (Amy Sinclair, NECN) - August is usually the busiest month of the year for Maine's tourism industry. With August off to a soggy start, there are a lot of long faces in

Vacationland. Fleece and sweatshirts have replaced bikinis at Old Orchard Beach and no one's buying ice cream. Instead, it's rained 10 of the last 11 days and it's unseasonably cool.

http://www.necn.com/Boston/Weather/Maines-tourism-industry-suffering-due-to-weather/1218493580.html