Weather Anomalies

These past couple of weeks, my mom, siblings, and friends have been bombarded with anywhere from 30 to 50 inches (76.2 to 127 cm) of snow. The record-breaking snowfall in both the Midwest and Northeast/Mid-Atlantic outdid the blizzards of '96 (which also occurred in February), closing down universities (UW-Madison closed for the first time in 30 years) and stores all across the country. In Strasbourg, things have been relatively calm. No major snowstorms and the closest thing to snowfall we have are short-lived flurries and a dusting here and there that don't stay on the ground for more than a day.

That said, I think it's rather apparent the weather anomalies are due to global warming. While the name "global warming" sounds like everything would be warmer, the effects of global warming aren't just increases in overall temperature, but abnormal weather patterns (increasing frequency of tsunamis, hurricanes, other extreme weather conditions) as well as higher temperatures experienced in the summer, as noted upon by the Dutch. Temperature increases in the Netherlands has been rising at a faster rate than the world average, according to the Koninklijk Nederlands Meteorlogisch Instituut (Royal Dutch Meteorology Institute). Weather in the Netherlands has increased to similar weather conditions in France a decade ago:
Maastricht = Poitiers
Vlissingen = Nantes
Utrecht = Lyon
Den Helder = Rennes
Groningen = Paris

I love extreme weather, but if it means unsustainable conditions due to global warming and the ultimate demise of humankind, I think I'll pass on the excitement of seeing a hurricane firsthand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU

Today's Random Quiz:

Your Snow Test Says You're Independent

You feel like something good will happen to you eventually, but not soon. You don't really like to work, unless work feels like play. You only are successful when you are doing what you love. You are an independent, individualistic person. You thrive when you're doing your own thing. Your biggest worry in life is your family. You stay up at night thinking about them. When it comes time to relax, you always go the extra mile. You take relaxing as seriously as anything else in life.

The Snow Test