Normal or abnormal winter

Any time the weather is not normal you can get unusual storms. Storms that occur before storm seasons start, storms that are very strong, and even storms in areas that don't ususally see them.

I think it just means we all have to be MORE prepared for extreme weather and not ignore storm warnings just because we were safe in previous storms.

Yeah it is sad all the storms that different areas have been having. There are been a lot of people who have lost their lives because of Tornados, hurricanes, etc. So nice weather or really isn't good. I would like for the weather to be like it should. But with all the global warming, etc. It's just not normal anymore.

Like a lot of people I have been noticing small changes over the past few years - stronger storms, more frequent storms, milder winters, etc. But, this is the first year where the actual winter patter has changed. It always started to cool in late Sept and continued getting colder with the coldest month being Jan and then in Feb is started warming up. The highs and lows may have fluctuated; but, the basic pattern stayed the same. This year in my area, it still started cooling in late Sept; but, by Dec we had temps that were more like Jan (and we thought we were in for a REALLY cold Jan). By Jan the warming trend has already started and it continued getting warmer. Not normal. The climate has changed and will probably continue to change. Global warming is real - the only debate is whether this is normal, manmade, or normal but speeded up by man. I am waiting to see what will happen this summer. I live in a desert community and 20 years ago it was not uncommon for us to be in the 120's for a month or more and even get up into the 130's occasionally. But, the last 3 - 4 years we have rarely hit 120 and it doesn't stay there very long.

I don't think we need to worry about that this year. I read a report saying this has been the "warmest winter in recorded history". The temps where I live have been steadily climbing (with just small occasional dips in temp). So, I really do not forsee a sudden snowstorm coming in; but, anything is possible.

My daffodils and hyacinth were in full bloom in Feb instead of March. We normally do get into the low 30's several nights each winter and have frost on our vehicles; but, this year that all happened a month early in December instead of in Jan. Not normal at all!

I know. Over the years we have gotten used to a certain "pattern" to our seasons; but, that "pattern" seems to be changing and this year it seems to be really obvious that things are no longer "normal".

Most of the people here are saying that it has been warmer and dryer this past winter than normal. Unless we start getting more rain (to make up for the lost snow), we may be facing some major droughts even in areas that do not normally have droughts.

My winters are a bit milder than yours - no snow; but, we do get frost and some ice and this year it happened in Dec instead of Jan. Don't know if this will mean a hot summer since out summers normally get up in the 120's anyway.

I did read an article that said this was the "warmest winter in recorded history" With things like this happening more frequently, I don't see how people can say that "global warming" is not happening. They can disagree about the "causes" all they want; but, unless something changes I think we need to prepare for many more years of warmer that normal temps.

I did read a report the other day saying this was the "warmest winter in recorded history". Where I live we did have the cold; it just came earlier and went away sooner.

Where I am we have already hit 90; but, that is not a record for this time of year here. If you aren't getting enough snow, will you have to worry about a "drought"? Many areas across the US rely on snow melt for a large portion of their annual "rainfall".

We have people that go out in t-shirts all year roud; but, the only ones that do that in the winter are the ones who come south to escape the snow (snowbirds). The people who live here all year wear coats and jackets in the winter and we can easily tell who belongs and who is a "winter visitor". Normally our winter visitors leave in late April/early May; but, many are leaving now because it is already so warm.

That makes it very hard for people who garden or farm to plan for successful harvests. Normally my daffodils and hyacinths start blooming in mid March. This year they started blooming in Feb and are finished blooming now.