Blizzards, droughts, polar vortexes, other weather-related phenomena: So what gives?!

While upstate New York’s Buffalo deals with chest-deep and deeper, lake-effect snow (think “Polar Vortex”), the aura of an almost indescribable sunset, its presence, its afterglow displayed in all its glory, there for the taking in right outside my window. A postcard-like scene such as this, making as rare an appearance as would be true of a blue moon, this is what I bore witness to but a few dusks ago.

To state the obvious that the weather is strange is to vastly understate things. In Fresno, the place where I hang my hat, temps are forecasted to be on the warmish side: daytime highs in the 60s and at night not dipping down much below that.

I ask: For what weather-wise this year exactly are we in store? A, excuse the expression, “carbon”-copy of last year’s “Triple-R” (“ridiculously resilient ridge” or “RRR”) weather pattern if not more? My observation is this: conditions are playing out in the fall in this year in much the same way. And, speaking of last winter’s weather, it was a doozy. Days on end of unending air pollution of the kind for which the San Joaquin Valley is known. Yuck!

And, if by some weird coincidence to occur is a second “Triple-R” encounter in a row, first I’d be saying enough is enough and second I’d be asking, meteorologically speaking, why are we getting another dose of this stuff? In any case in the Valley, I believe I can speak for one and all when I say doing without another “RRR” bout would be most welcome news and would do a body good … no doubt.

It just so happens, this morning I read a New York Times piece, and a quite eye-opening report at that, about receding and disappearing glaciers in, of all places, a place that derives its name from these so-called climate-, temperature- or weather-driven ice formations – Montana’s Glacier National Park. Michael Wines, the article’s author, even said so himself that the glacial retreat was not altogether a result of anthropogenic activity, though scientists do themselves find global warming’s human-influence aspect to be a major part. At least, this is how in this regard I understood what Wines had stated.

And, here in my own, literal and figurative, back yard, well, get a load of this: lilac-tree and potato-plant flowers in full bloom, the latter resplendent in radiantly purple color. And to think this in late autumn. If a person did not know better, one would be inclined to think it was the season opposite: spring. But, alas, “better” is known.

So, what is going on? What gives? What’s this all about?

As it relates, not all may agree on cause, or if there’s even anything behind this at all. By chance, maybe more than just by chance, could the root of some of the weather-related goings-on be pollution? If nothing else, something to think about.

Enough of the polar vortexes, blizzards, droughts, tornados and whatever else there is in the way of destructive, weather-related phenomena, already. Tell me again, how is it relief is spelled?

– Alan Kandel

1 thought on “Blizzards, droughts, polar vortexes, other weather-related phenomena: So what gives?!”

  1. What is the Carbon Taxation being spent on?

    Buying credits from Africa or other low carbon producers is crazy! All aid cash will be spent on energy or energy dependent imports converting them into Carbon Producers.

    Perhaps if this cash was used to reward those who are able to cut back on energy usage, we might see a bigger reduction in our own carbon production?

    The current scheme is so badly flawed in will only increase the numbers of carbon producers by “Uplifting their economies”. Perhaps the counter productive uplifting agenda needs examining in detail?

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