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Wednesday 20 March 2013

It's bloody cold these days


When out walking on Sunday, we were togged up in what was almost full winter walking gear even though it was the middle of March. Páramo jackets, Meindl boots, buffs, woolly hats and gloves. Pretty much what we wore while walking in the snow in January. It may be March, but it was still too cold to shed layers.

We were warm enough while walking even though there were still odd patches of snow in the shelter of dry stone walls, but I came to a long-delayed conclusion.

It's bloody cold these days.

Sometimes we analyse things to death and fail to reach a conclusion, but a gut reaction still says there is a conclusion to be reached. Temperature data does not suggest either a warming or a cooling trend, but the past few winters feel like cooling to me. This winter especially.

Something tells me the climate has decided on cooling and we may as well get used to it. I can't defend it scientifically and I may be mistaken, but walking out on the hills tells me there is something different about the weather. Toasty it isn't.

What effect this will have on the climate scam I have no idea. Once upon a time I would have looked forward with great pleasure to an indignant outburst of public anger, but I don't see that happening somehow.

The narrative is too controlled, people too incurious.

However, this kind of gut-based analysis told me again what I already knew. Originally, many climate scientists sitting in their cubbyhole offices had a similar gut reaction which told them the global climate was warming and CO2 might be responsible.

Unfortunately, the UN smiled its wicked smile and directed their gullible gaze to a wonderland of funding, international travel and enthusiastic students.

Maybe all is not lost though - apart from their reputations. They could take a break and try walking in the hills.

It's bloody cold these days.

4 comments:

James Higham said...

Something tells me the climate has decided on cooling and we may as well get used to it.

Sincerely hope so.

A K Haart said...

James - it may only be what we were used to a few decades back.

Woodsy42 said...

Funny you should write this as I was recently musing along similar lines.
I decided that traditional weather monitoring stations only tell a partial story.
In particular the recorded temperature is an amalgam of air temperature and radiated heat, and even allowing for wind chill and taking into consideration careful weather station position, this does not always equate to personal comfort.
Even indoors, in a well insulated house, the effect is obvious. My house heating is set at a background temp of 18degrees. On some sunny days, even in the coldest weather it is perfectly comfortable. On other days, those dull grey chill ones, the outdoor temps may be much higher. The indoor thermometer just by my side still reads 18 degrees, exactly the same temp, yet it is unbearably cold.
On this basis I would say the past three years, especially the winters and springs, have felt noticably colder than than any since the 70s.

A K Haart said...

Woodsy - yes, temperature records do not tell the whole story. All kinds of personal observations suggest change, but not a change towards more perceptible warmth or more sunshine.