I sometimes talk about looking at the big picture when discussing the earth’s climate (amongst other things). We tend to look at small periods of time when discussing climate change and the many variables which can change our weather patterns over weeks, months and years.
Our planet is constantly adjusting itself due to such things as a wobble which causes a slow shift of the north pole over the periods of some 23000 years or so, earth’s quakes and volcanoes due to the plate tectonics and the loss or gain of polar ice which slows or speeds up the axial movement. This wobble shifts the north pole by 23°. The tilt of the earth on its axis is what causes us to have seasons. We also have the moon which gives us tides and atmospheric bulges which causes small changes in the weather patterns and of course the energy coming from the sun which heats the atmosphere.
As science has advanced we have found that the gravitation fields of the larger planets in our solar system have effects on our planet as we move along in our orbit around the sun. Our solar system is a small part of the Milky Way galaxy which speeds along with countless other galaxies in the universe. Looking from this perspective it can make one feel pretty small indeed.
I try to keep these things in mind if I become too full of myself especially in a world of over seven billion souls and counting.
Our winter weather advisory is in effect until noon. This is due to some freezing drizzle around the area this morning. Today will feature fog and clouds which will make for a gloomy day in SW Michigan. Temps should get above freezing this afternoon and hold around freezing overnight.
The “big picture” is looking good!
https://www.pivotalweather.com/model.php?m=gfs&p=snku_acc&rh=2021011218&fh=240&r=conus&dpdt=&mc=
No freezing rain here at all. Just a cloudy, cold , drizzly day. I hear it is suppose to be near 40 the next 2 days.
No fog or freezing drizzle in our area either, just another above average snowless January day to add to our growing historic streak. As always the “cold & snow” remain elusively 2 weeks away, as always.
Great news…. The 8 to 14 CPC still shows cold and above normal snowfall! Also all of the teleconnectors point toward a major switch to cold and snow later this month! Get ready to rock baby!
While there may be freezing drizzle in places here at my house nothing. At this time it is cloudy and 31 here. Yesterdays high of 30 was the coldest high of January so far as ever day this month has been 30 or above with the warmest so far being 38. The total snow fall for the month remains at just 2.2” and for the season 7.5” That is just about 30” below average where Grand Rapids should be now. There is still a long time to go but if that 38 remains the high for the month that would… Read more »
We may make it to the 21st with highs of 30 or above… certainly at least until this weekend.
Must be close to a record if that happened.
We have had highs in the 20’s in December but so far this winter season the coldest it has gotten is 14. At Grand Rapids the latest it has gotten to 13 or lower is January 31 in 1932. But in 2nd latest is January 17th in 1908 and then the 15th is 2012. So the next milestone for that will be Friday and then Sunday so we are on track for the at least the 2nd latest date for a low of 13 or below. It has now gotten below zero since February 1st 2019.
Slim
It did not drop below 20 in November or December here. It has dropped into the teens just four times this month. The two things that stand out to me about this winter so far is the lack of snow and the lack of cold.
Don’t look now but the CPC actually has above average temps for us again in their 6-10 day outlook. How does that play into the narrative that we would be turning really cold and snowy? Still no big cold in sight!
After a long time hyping, the NWS and WOOD seem to now be lowering their expectations for big widespread snow this weekend. Reminds me of what they did a few weeks back.
Oh, I forgot to mention the Butterfly effect of buying snow tires and snowthrowers causing our winter snow decline 🙂
+1
I bought new tires in November. I did get to try them out in snow one time, and they did pretty good. Cooper Discoverer Enduramax. They are a new line of tires by Cooper, designed to withstand crappy roads. No joke. It’s like Cooper had Michigan in mind.
🙂
Think WINTER and all of the cold and snow on the horizon over the next 2 months! It will be a wild ride! Bring it!