It could be global warming.

I don't think anyone directly answered your question. At times this forum can be fascinatingly indirect. Yes the winter has been and continues to be warmer than normal - close to record setting. It's been in the 80's where as normal is 70's. We have had our doors open for weeks - it's wonderful.

It's been a bit higher than normal here this year. I.E if the average high for a given day was 72, it was usually more like 79 this year.

Here's a link to NOAA's overview of this winters climate.

However it is not record setting. It was actually a much warmer winter across the country in 1984, 1923 and 1886. So it does happen and is not global warming or any other man made cause. Be thankful for it as next year you may be up to your **s in snow until June. I remember 1984 when it was so warm and everyone was claiming all kinds of bad things. I also have pictures of 1985 with the snow machines sitting on the roof of the house. There was so much snow we just drove them right up on the roof and took pictures. Pictures are dated March 17, 1985.

I saw a report on this issue a few days ago. The weather phenomenon this year is a result of the positioning of the jet stream. It is well north of where it is typically positioned at this time of year. So, we have warm and even hot temperatures in some of our northern states at an unusual time of year.

I think that global warming is another issue, affecting especially the polar ice caps, which are noticeably melting. Global warming might not be directly responsible for our extraordinarily warm winter this year, but I think it is causing other problems which we need to be concerned with.

And to think that this GW problem started very slowly with the industrial revolution which began around 1850, give or take........

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One never knows
 

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:024: I live in Maine and I can tell you this is really different from other years. Today the temp is going to 80 and tomorrow they are talking temps in the 90. This is very strange. We have no snow and lakes are now open with no ice. Bugs are coming out which usually doesn't happen until first of May. Flowers are starting to come up and best of all mud season was very short. I don't subscribe to the theory of global warming or the world coming to and end. I believe it has to do with the route of the prevailing jet stream. The states on the western part of the country are colder than normal and they are still getting snow and the states on the eastern half are having summer like temps. The jet stream is moving up into north west Canada and travleing south along a path that takes it though the western part of the country bringing with it cold air and then after going south is turning and heading north bringing warm air to the eastern part of the country. How long this will last I don't know. Although I like the warm weather it brings with it more bugs and possibilities of damaging storms but I'll take it. I bought my home in TV so that I could get away from the cold and snow and this year we are having FL like weather. Still glad I bought in TV!!:spoken:

That means I've got exactly nine months to spend my kids' inheritance.....er blow my retirement savings .......... NOT !!!

Maybe wife and I should hurry on down to TV to experience "heaven on earth" while it's still here.......


:a20:

See Trish Crocker's post today, titled "Darn Liberals."

Warmest March in Chicago history
 

Warmest March weather in Chicago history -- for 9 days this month Chicago beat all time temp. records. It was 80 degrees or warmer for about 5 or 6 days this month. Two weeks ago when I was in Houston, the temps. in Chicago were only about 2 degrees cooler than Houston. Today it will only be 64, but that's still 14 degrees warmer than average for March 25. I turned off my furnace 10 days ago which I have never done in March. All vegetation and flowers are about 1 month farther along than normal. Hope Chicago doesn't get a prolonged cold spell in April for the flowers, bushes and trees that are now blooming.

I left CT six days ago and there was not a bud on although the daffies were already blooming. I came back last night and every flowering tree is in full bloom... Not great of allergies but gorgeous.

Not to worry - Last winter we had almost 100 inches of snow from Nov-March in MA. I remember a winter like this warm one in 1979 but we had a 55 inch blizzard the previous year. Comes and goes. Give me FL!

Did you know that the weather we're currently experiencing is highly effected by an element that's been around since who knows when? It's called El Niño and this element also has positive effects or benefits to us here in Florida.

El Niño is also a larger short term factor when it comes to global changing temperatures than global warming itself is since it's effects can be measured more in terms of years whereas global warming effects are measured more in terms of decades if not centuries.

Anyway, it's not my intention to get into a topic of global warming in and of itself, so I won't delve any further into that topic. I just wanted to mention the El Niño's connection to what's been happening and being discussed here. You can read more about this at the following web site:

El Niño conditions return to affect U.S. weather - USATODAY.com