Comments on: Light rain, maybe some mix, on Wednesday

By: Doug G, SW ROA County, 1420 Ft

Doug G, SW ROA County, 1420 Ft — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 02:52:12 +0000

Well, it now looks like February will …. check that, “might” …. make this winter a trifecta of 3 straight months warmer than normal. Thanks to what the Weather Wizard might call “blowtorch days” (both Monday and yesterday were warmer than normal by double digits), the month to date is now warmer than normal for both cities. Today’s low through 5 PM at RRA was 43, and although that will certainly drop back into the 30s by 11:59PM, today won’t cause the average to drop. And tomorrow will hike it some. The weekend will knock it back a little.

By: John Baldwin

John Baldwin — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 02:08:13 +0000

That time was part of a period known as the Little Ice Age. From Wikiapedia: NASA defines the term as a cold period between AD 1550 and AD 1850 and notes three particularly cold intervals: one beginning about 1650, another about 1770, and the last in 1850, each separated by intervals of slight warming.

At some point the climate will cycle to a cold period again but who knows when?

By: Jared French of Greene county

Jared French of Greene county — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 01:51:12 +0000

Wow, can’t imagine the Chesapeake freezing over! Heck can’t even get cold enough for snow anymore. What could have caused it to become so cold back then? Wonder if it could ever cycle back around and be that severe cold again?

By: Kevin Myatt

Kevin Myatt — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 00:13:44 +0000

With the prevailing westerly flow, quite a few of our storm systems end up in Europe, including several hurricanes in an extratropical form.

By: John Baldwin

John Baldwin — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 00:05:18 +0000

Having not followed previous Winter Storms after they moved away from the US, I have a question. Is it normal for them to move all the way across the Atlantic to hit the UK?

Doug, I have heard the same thing you have about it possibly starting to cool in a few years. Seems I read that somewhere online a couple of years back. Btw I also recently learned that the winter of 1780 was much more severe than 1778 (or maybe the facts got misconstrued many years later and applied to 1778). In 1780 the Chesapeake bay froze over! I can’t even imagine how cold it must have been for Washington’s troops in New Jersey. Hopefully it won’t get THAT cold anytime soon.

By: Indian Valley John, 2750'

Indian Valley John, 2750' — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 23:24:14 +0000

Kevin,
Although I may not post as much during the “3 other seasons,” please know that I still religiously follow the blog year round. You and everyone else that posts during the “down time” keep me reading WJ blog on a daily basis. Y’all are just too much fun at any time during the year.

By: wdbrand-SW Rke. Co.-1827'

wdbrand-SW Rke. Co.-1827' — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 23:23:11 +0000

Agree with all on the religion and political issue. There are some that are fanatics on the subject. Don’t know much, but when you argue with ignorant folks you’ll lose everytime, cause they will drag you down on their level then beat you with expierence.

By: Kevin Myatt

Kevin Myatt — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 23:09:12 +0000

Check out the New River/Roanoke valleys/Blue Ridge dry slot on the HPC 1-inch snowfall percentages for Friday-Saturday evening timeframe.

http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/pwpf_24hr/prb_24hsnow_ge01_2013021400f072.gif

By: Rick in Wytheville, 2450'

Rick in Wytheville, 2450' — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:52:58 +0000

Trying to stay with the science, there is some evidence that all planets in our solar system are warming, and those others can’t be affected by a human’s carbon footprint.

http://skepticalscience.com/global-warming-other-planets-solar-system.htm

I’ve just included this one link and you can find many, many others that lean more one way or the other. It’s clear to me that nobody knows the answer for sure.

By: Rick in Wytheville, 2450'

Rick in Wytheville, 2450' — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:33:01 +0000

The “ever reliable” Old Farmers Almanac agrees with Kevin’s suggestion of a Feb 22-23 snow storm.

Feb 21-28: Snow, then flurries, cold.