weather

Bastardi: Today’s frigid weather similar to 1970s when Ice Age was alarm

by Fran Smith on January 7, 2010

in Global Warming

Accuweather’s meteorologist Joe Bastardi has a new video titled “Worldwide Cold not Seen Since 70s Ice Age Scare.” Bastardi points out that the frigid conditions affecting significant parts of the world today – North America, Europe, and Asia – are very similar to the patterns in the 1970s, when fears of a new Ice Age were hyped by the media. He repeatedly compares maps of the cold spots from January 1-10, 1977 and current ones and notes the strong similarities:

Here’s what we had then, here’s what we have now.  Then, now.  Then, now.

In referring to the current global warming alarms, Bastardi asks:

How could this be global warming, but 34 years ago, that was an Ice Age coming?

Good question.

WashPost buries coldest day in 138 years

by Fran Smith on October 19, 2009 · 1 comment

in Global Warming, Odds & Ends

It’s got a good lede that should have won at least a front-page Metro slot.  Instead, buried in Saturday’s Washington Post’s Metro Section amid the obituaries on p. B5 was this startling weather note:  On Friday, October 16, 2009, in Washington, DC, the high temperature was the lowest temperature recorded for that date in 138 years! Friday’s high was a low 45 degrees. Here’s the Post:

Something happened in Washington on Friday that had not occurred in 138 years of weather history: For the first time since the National Weather Service began compiling daily data here, the high temperature for Oct. 16 was below 50 degrees.

Now, just imagine if October 16 was the warmest in 138 years – where do you think the Post would have placed the article? Surely not buried in obituaries.