Omelet wrote:
In article , John - Pa.
wrote:

In spite of Global Warming, it has been a frosty autumn here and it is
a bit unusual for us to have snowfall this early. I have to admit
though, it wasn't much.

Global warming means it's going to get colder. ;-)
Ironic no?

No, it doesn't and it isn't. It means that on average, temperatures are
increasing. One of the side effects of that is more variability in
weather, not less.

If you want some insight into what rapid global warming is doing,
investigate what's happened to the Arctic sea ice in the last few years,
and why. The climate models used up to now have underestimated the rate
of sea-ice loss. It will likely disappear entirely by about 2025, give
or take a few years. Past models predicted that event for some time
around 2100 or even later.

It may also help you to read up on chaotic systems. Relatively simple
concepts, which translate into not very simple math. ;-) NB that the
this whole area of mathematics was discovered because of attempts to
model the weather. One practical result is that we now know why we can't
forecast the weather well for more than two or three days at a time. One
theoretical result is that climate change can occur very very rapidly,
ie, the climate can flip from one state to another in few decades. But
the timing of such a change cannot be forecast. Nor can it be recognised
until it's well under way, which in practical terms means that it's too
late to do anything about it, and may be too late to adapt to as well.
Not a very happy prospect.

In addition, local natural climate cycles will be be exaggerated. Eg, in
the "Palliser Triangle" of the southern Canadian and Northern USA
prairies. This part of the prairies has been cycling between desert and
relatively moist conditions for the past few thousand years at a roughly
2/3rds to 1/3rd ratio. It was settled during one its wet periods. That
period is now coming to an end, and rapid global warming is certainly
going to make it a much drier desert than it was in the past. Especially
since the Rocky Mountain glaciers seem to be disappearing faster than
previously forecast, too. :-(

It was about 22-F today, and I didn't want to take my good kit out in
those temperatures, so this shot is from my little Sony pocket camera.
This is a large holly tree on our property, planted long before we got
here. It is now at least 30-ft. high.


That is VERY pretty! It'd make a nice Christmas card.

True. I'm going to use it as desktop wallpaper for the next few weeks. ;-)

Can't grow holly here - yet. Too cold in winter.