Friday, January 6, 2012

Baby, it's warm outside!

While the TV news was overtaken by coverage of the Iowa Republican caucuses, I kept wondering what other news was not being covered. What were we missing out on?

It turns out that it was only the weather! Every newscast is now centered on the unseasonable weather. The local weatherman on last night's forecast was positively giddy over all the records being broken in Minnesota.

This is the time of year when we usually have our coldest weather. It's not uncommon to have 20 degrees below zero for days on end. Not only don't we have any snow, but with temperatures in the 40's, it's too warm to snow.

My son, who loves to cross-country ski, is quite frustrated along with thousands of ice fishermen, snowmobilers, pond hockey players, ice skaters and outdoor enthusiasts. In their place are avid golfers out on the snow-free golf courses.

I don't mind the balmy weather and roads free of ice, but I'm starting to feel uncomfortable about the whole situation. Something is way out of kilter!

16 comments:

Teresa Evangeline said...

I like it on one hand and on the other I miss the snow. Right now, things look less than pristine out there, but we still have our trees. :)

Nancy/BLissed-Out Grandma said...

I love the fact that it's easy to get around, etc., but I've now begun to worry about facing an epic drought this summer if we don't get some serious snow. Especially since we also had almost no rain this past fall.

Ms Sparrow said...

Teresa and Blissed: We had all those warnings to water trees going into winter. It must be far worse now with the freezing and thawing cycles stressing the trees. I read once that some trees need need a certain amount of below-freezing temperatures to come back in the spring.

^..^Corgidogmama said...

I totally agree, and had this conversation over lunch today. Makes me fear that the end is near, or that the glaciers have melted much more than we all thought. Egad...Al Gore was right!
It's 54 in NE Indiana today...something's not right with Mother Nature!! We'll pay in some way.....

Kittie Howard said...

I'm nervous as well. I read that in 50 years, if this warming continues, wheat will be growing near Hudson Bay, and the South will be too hot to grow cotton. Yet, where I live in Virginia, most I know say global warming is a liberal 'thing'. Bull twinkles!

Elaine said...

It is just as bad over here, we've had lots of strong winds, all through autumn, but no really cold spell in our part of England (east coast) and no appreciable amounts of rain. A drought looms unless we get some soon.

Joanne Noragon said...

This is not good. I'm expecting a plague come spring. Wait--spring seems to have come. It's some adventure and probably not a good one.

Ms Sparrow said...

Wow, it seems like we all have a sense of foreboding! The weather patterns are so erratic that it seems long-term, harmful changes are happening. I would like to think it's only because I'm a chronic worrier, but I have lots of company.

Linda Myers said...

The Pacific Northwest had an unusually dry December, but we're now back to our regularly scheduled wet.

Ms Sparrow said...

Linda, I'm so glad to hear the weather is normal somewhere!

Buttercup said...

I love that it's not snowing, but do worry that the seasons are all out of kilter. The temperature dropped today and it feels a lot more like winter.

Ms Sparrow said...

Buttercup, It sounds like New York has had worse weather than Minnesota.
It looks like you're getting around OK however!

Linda Starr said...

Twenty below for days on end, yikes too cold for me. Ha. But I do hope you get some snow for all the plants.

Ms Sparrow said...

Linda, When we have those January "cold snaps", I always feel so bad for all the wildlife suffering in the snow. I put food out for the birds and squirrels and that helps.

Jenny said...

Since being out here in AZ, 40 degrees is COLD to me now.....

But I do agree, something just isn't right!

Linda Starr said...

Aren't you a sweetie for putting out food for the squirrels and birds. We got another cold snap and rain, maybe some is on your way.