Erratic, extreme day-to-day weather puts climate change in new light

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S32/13/25I02/index.xml?section=topstories

Erratic, extreme day-to-day weather puts climate change in new light

Posted November 15, 2011; 03:00 p.m.
by Morgan Kelly

The first climate study to focus on variations in daily weather conditions has found that day-to-day weather has grown increasingly erratic and extreme, with significant fluctuations in sunshine and rainfall affecting more than a third of the planet.

Princeton University researchers http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/2011JCLI4115.1">recently reported in the Journal of Climate that extremely sunny or cloudy days are more common than in the early 1980s, and that swings from thunderstorms to dry days rose considerably since the late 1990s. These swings could have consequences for ecosystem stability and the control of pests and diseases, as well as for industries such as agriculture and solar-energy production, all of which are vulnerable to inconsistent and extreme weather, the researchers noted.

The day-to-day variations also could affect what scientists can expect to see as the Earth's climate changes, according to the researchers and other scientists familiar with the work. Constant fluctuations in severe conditions could alter how the atmosphere distributes heat and rainfall, as well as inhibit the ability of plants to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, possibly leading to higher levels of the greenhouse gas than currently accounted for.

…

The researchers observed at least some increase in variability for 35 percent of the world during the time periods analyzed. Regions such as equatorial Africa and Asia experienced the greatest increase in the frequency of extreme conditions, with erratic shifts in weather occurring throughout the year. In more temperate regions such as the United States, day-to-day variability increased to a lesser degree and typically only seasonally. In the northeastern United States, for instance, sudden jumps from sunny to bleak days became more common during the winter from 1984 to 2007.

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[Bonhomme Richard]

1. I have never seen the weather like it has been....

the last two years. My only conclusion is it is going to get worse and have set up a generator.

[enough]

2. We've been seeing this around here (SE PA USA) for several years now, but nothing

compared to the last go-round: Blizzard conditions, vast tree devastation, no electricity for many days, then AH-HA! It's lovely Indian summer with intense green grass, balmy temperatures, beautiful luscious foliage on all the trees that are still upright, even believe it or not, some unfrozen tomatoes still on the vine waiting to be picked green before the first real frost. We ate our last gorgeous ripe tomatoes (picked two weeks ago) last night.

All of this is unprecedented here.

[OKIsItJustMe]

3. I can testify to this

Blizzards in October? “Indian Summer” in November? That’s new!