While the Southwest bakes in triple digit temperatures without hardly a drop of rain, the Midwest and East Coast sit under an unprecedented dome of hot, humid air. Meanwhile, the political trajectory of the nation remains focused on how to demonize the opposite political points of view and refusing to face up to perhaps the most damaging and expensive problem the nation has ever faced. “Greek Tragedy” cannot fully describe just how catastrophic is the folly of our ways.
100 degree weather in the southwest in July! That only normally happens nearly every single day. It has been raining like crazy in the southwest. Unprecedented heat – except for all the years where it was hotter.
What about the southeast? Here in central Florida we are so damn wet you can get moldy just walking to your car but we are in a “drought”. Of course I am very worried because the temperature only got to the low 90s here yesterday! Just last month the temps were 98 every day!
Look, if we keep going down 5 degrees a month it will be freezing here in no time. Disney World will be an ice palace!
The End is Nigh! We are going to Freeze!
(or burn or something — I always forget)
‘unprecedented’
One of the most specific words in our language. It is positively boolean. This means that using the word unprecedented carries a steep burden of proof.
Using that word about weather or climate is a sure loser. This author, whoever he/she is just such a loser.
There *are* some slam dunk uses for the word unprecedented however, for example …
Deficits-Surplus by Congressional Control 1995-2009
I have noticed an unprecedented use of the word “dome” in news reports lately.
Southwest weather according to NOAA:
II. General Climatic Summary
The four seasons are actually well defined in Las Vegas, although they differ from the traditional view of seasonal variation. Summers display classic desert southwest characteristics. Daily high temperatures typically exceed 100 degrees with lows in the 70s. The summer heat is tempered somewhat by the extremely low relative humidities. However, it is not uncommon for humidity to increase markedly for several weeks each summer in association with a moist “monsoonal flow” from the south, typically during July and August. Aside from increasing the discomfort level, these moist winds also support the development of spectacular desert thunderstorms which are frequently associated with significant flash flooding and/or strong downburst winds. On average, sunny days are recorded 85 percent of the time and there are over 300 days per year with no measurable rainfall.
From:
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/vef/climate/Las%20Vegas%20Climate%20Book.pdf
At elevations between 2 and 3 thousand feet the Las Vegas Valley represent typical southwest high Mojave Desert conditions. Of course the Sonora Desert has its own characteristics south of the Colorado River. The Texas / New Mexico desert region is a different animal completely more effected by weather conditions in the GOM while the first two are effected by the Pacific.
I have a problem with people grouping the entire Southwest into one climate region because it is anything but.
For extreme “Southwest conditions:
http://www.nps.gov/deva/naturescience/weather-and-climate.htm
“Ecological justice will reset in balance what human hubris has thrown into disarray. There will be a price to be paid for our immoral behavior.” – Rev. Thomas Raphael-Nakos
Thomas Raphael-Nakos’s Professional Background
Education:
master of divinity degree
University of Dubuque Theological Seminary
bachelor of arts degree , history
Louisiana State University , Baton Rouge
An obstensible Christian that dabbles in neo-pagan AGW nonsense
I normally ignore the messenger and attack the message except when they claim to be an “Expert”!
However he is more qualified than Big Al to speak about the Religion!
I failed to mention that Nature has its own way to dish out environmental justice. No help required for that!