What do you recon on the Weather were having lately?

[Clyde]

The past 2 weeks or more, where I live in Amersham - Buckinghamshire. We've been having the funniest of climates. Through out the Morning until about 16:00 it's lovely Sunshine ( yesterday you could were a T-Shirt ), but then afterward the Heavens change to gloomyness and rain; and not to mention the gale force winds. I think they said in areas they were upto 60-70 Mile Per hour winds.

Wever this is to do with global warming, which I don't think it is all to blame - as Mother natures not going to remain the same forever; even with man's dumb neglect. I think that Mrs Nature just needs time to balance things out. And we don't really know what's going to happen to the Planet. I suspect that alot of it is scare mongering.

How's it been like were you live?

Cheers,
Clyde.

[mike_g]

Its been hot and wet all winter here in sunny Cornwall. Shrooms were still out in December and Daffodils came out in January. Its like autumn moves on to spring missing winter. It dont really bother me tho.

[Shockwave]

I don't really mind at the moment as I have some time off work, but it is definately milder these days. Here in Llanelli it is bright sunshine and quite warm today.

[Paul]

Its been far to warm in Sweden with almost no snow, we usually have allot of snow.

[rdc]

We are in a El Nino cycle which tends to throw off the weather. Global warming does have an effect, but it is long-term rather than short-term, like we are seeing now. Down here in Texas, we go from 80F one day to 40F the next, with lows from 60F to 25F.

We were supposed to be wetter than usual, but it doesn't seem to be working out that way. We are in a 3-year drought, and it doesn't seem to want to let up.

[Shockwave]

You know what Rick, we haven't had proper snow here for like 20 years. Sure, we get the odd week where there are a few inches of snowfall (usually in february or late january), but when I was a kid I remember a blizzard where there were snowdrifts 8 feet deep and the snow stayed for weeks.

What's more it was colder then.

You can say El Nino happens every so often and frigs everything up, but don't you think climate is changing overall?

The kids around here will be happier because they can go stealing oranges instead of apples in a few years it has a serious side tho. a lot of places will have famine and some will end up totally underwater.

[mike_g]

But I like apples

[Shockwave]

You're in luck, they'll ripen faster!

[ferris]

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho -

Monday was snowy and wet.
Tuesday bright and beautiful.
Wednesday - in between.

Seem to be in the wrong order here

[rdc]

Nick, yes the long term changes are due to global warming, there is no doubt. England is warmed by the Atlantic current and the water temperatures in the tropics have been slowly climbing, so you get the effect when the water surfaces in the North Atlantic.

The Atlantic current is the real problem for both the US and Europe. If you look at the satellite data of the Arctic Ice Shelf, you will see that it has shrunk considerably over the last 100 years. This freshwater is being dumped into the Atlantic and may dilute the seawater just enough to inhibit the warm water turnover. If that happens, you won't get the tropical warm water in the North Atlantic and that could mean a Little Ice Age in the Northern Latitudes.

There is good evidence that the last Little Ice Age, which happened around 1600 was caused by a flood of fresh water into the Atlantic during the long period of warming that preceded the LIA. Of course from maxima to minima about 400 years passed, so it won't be a Day After Tomorrow thing. Still, it would not take much to disrupt things and cause a lot of havoc on both sides of the Atlantic.

[Shockwave]

The Atlantic current is the real problem for both the US and Europe. If you look at the satellite data of the Arctic Ice Shelf, you will see that it has shrunk considerably over the last 100 years. This freshwater is being dumped into the Atlantic and may dilute the seawater just enough to inhibit the warm water turnover. If that happens, you won't get the tropical warm water in the North Atlantic and that could mean a Little Ice Age in the Northern Latitudes.

I had never read about this possibility.
Things like this really worry me these days, especially as I'm going to be a father for the first time soon. You can't help but wonder and worry if everything is going to be ok for your kids.