An Early / Harsh Winter for 08/09 ?

I check the date on the Calendar, August tenth it reads. Yet outside the temperature is hovering at about half what it should be right now. The front page of the newspaper shows off a color picture of the maple leaves changing from green to red. Outside , I hear the distinct honking of Canada geese flying south, about 20 in all. And in the park across the street, I notice three black squirrels, one of them burying whatever it carried in it's mouth, while the other two search the ground for more.

This is wrong. This shouldn't be happening for at least another 6 weeks.
If this is global warming, I believe this winter will freeze us, and bury us under 8 feet of snow.
Nature seems to know what's coming.
I'm getting prepared NOW.

Yup, a mild cold front is just making it to Florida...........Many people have told me last years winter seemed to never end.

reply to post by 38181

Many people have told me last years winter seemed to never end.

Up here in the NW, it was more like the summer took forever to start. Given the lack of solar activity and late starting summer, I wouldn't be surprised if we have a hard winter this year.

Please o please... I'm in Phx... it is 108

A cold winter for me means a jacket and may it come soon

Originally posted by mopusvindictus
Please o please... I'm in Phx... it is 108

A cold winter for me means a jacket and may it come soon

I'm on the border of central/northern Ontario Canada. I would gladly trade you.
The temperature here last summer was many days of 28-32 degrees not including humidity.
This summer, cold, temperature of 15-20 most days, and windy with rain. I have never seen a summer like this. For every 6 days of rain we get one without, and it's usually cloudy. It's been very depressing.I can just see my heating bill shooting up. There have already been a couple of mornings this past week, where I could have turned the heat on, but didn't. While out walking I noticed smoke from the chimney of a house, and the distinct smell of burning wood. It really is that chilly here. People are already wearing fall jackets , when we should be lounging on the beach.I think we are going to be pounded with snowstorms followed by bitter cold. The animals are preparing early, and that scares me. They know it will be bad.
Since I can't make like a goose and fly south, it's time to make like a squirrel and stock up to hibernate.

AD there are strange happenings down here in the sunny south as well.

The squirrels are well into putting on their heavier fur growth. I also notice when I bathed my four little dogs that they to had begun to get their winter coat. Don't know if animals do this in your area but they do in the south.

Last Friday we had a freak storm and 5 trees in my yard were downed. Two were uprooted completely. These trees were very old oak trees. Upon examination I was astonished at the amount of acorns the trees were getting ready to drop.

For a couple of weeks we have had triple digit temperatures.
The winds have been very active this spring and summer. Feels like the trade winds have located themselves over my area. They haven't but it is windy more days than not.

I'm having the fallen trees cut and split into wood for heating my home this winter. Didn't use the fireplace but once last winter. I have a weird feeling we are going to have an extra cold winter coming up.

Of course I'm ready as I am ready for any situation. The trees falling were a gift from God so I can keep my home warm this winter.

AD I believe your prediction is right.

have you all ever notice the smell of the air when autumn is coming i walked out side the other day and there was that smell, the odd thing is we normally don't have that smell for at least another month 1/2 close to the end of sept. there is a chance of bad weather this we haven't had a hard winter in 11 years where i live in TN.

I, personally, would be excited to have an extreme winter here. Of course, I'm in texas and we don't get winter weather all too often. I love me some snow!!!

Up here in N. New England we have had a very rainy second half of summer. I would love for the winter to be extra snowy as it helps insulate the house and garden. Snow is also super fun to play in and we enjoy birdwatching our feeders from the window by the woodstove.

Before every winter someone says the mussels are digging down into the mud or the squirrels have extra fur or the fuzzy caterpillars look different so the winter will be severe. The climate is still too complex to forcast snow or cold although La Nina and El Nino do have predictable effects.
If you are prepared for snowy roads, losing power and cold temperatures winter is not a problem. Keep your pantry stocked and now is the time to check your insulation and take care of drafty windows and doors.

Let it snow!

Originally posted by crawgator406
have you all ever notice the smell of the air when autumn is coming i walked out side the other day and there was that smell, the odd thing is we normally don't have that smell for at least another month 1/2 close to the end of sept. there is a chance of bad weather this we haven't had a hard winter in 11 years where i live in TN.

I noticed it while walking in the forest the other day. The smell of autumn. I love that time of year..I'm just not ready for it.
Went for a walk with my daughter today, and noticed that most of the male ducks have returned to their proper colors. (They change during mating season to look like the females). They look like they will be flying away soon too.
Last winter here was relatively simple. Didn't get much snow, and it wasn't overly cold. Gonna make up for it this year, and I guess not just in my area.

could be www.noc.soton.ac.uk... if the atlantic ocean fron sw to ne starts to stall, oy we are in trouble weather wise.
Strange how there no heatwave in nyc considering its the august 11th. We'll just have to wait and see what happens in the next 90days.

It does feel like fall is coming right now. The daytime temperatures aren't getting much past 80. Personally I love the cooler temps, but I don't think this is quite the norm. Temperatures about 75 during the day, and night time temps in the 50's would be perfect weather. Think about it. It's warm, but not too warm. You don't necessarily feel like you have to take multiple showers because of all the sweating.

I like it, but I don't like it. Because it doens't seem right.

Troy

I sure hope not...I want to enjoy the pool a bit longer. I have noticed a decrease in temperature up here in the northwest. Hopefully it goes back to normal soon, Summer isn't over yet.

reply to post by WEOPPOSEDECEPTION


Thanks so much for being a ray of sunshine. Can't post anything without getting flamed for it.

And I thought we were in the death-throws of the last days on Earth due to global warming It's August in Ohio and I have a thick robe on it's so cold

reply to post by mopusvindictus


Well there you GO! I know exactly what you mean. After a little too much of the long hot you look foward to those perfect sunfilled days, all that blue sky, crystal clear air perfect for UFO watching at night.

I am just glad to see someone like the Original Poster observes these things too. I've been noticing monsoon seasons coming too early and other strange changes in the weather patterns.

It's interesting that this is happening on both sides of the atlantic.

Where I live is supposed to be sub-tropical, and yet we've had hardly any summer at all, in fact for the last few days it's been high winds and heavy rain - the story of the summer so far.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if we had a hard winter - although for me that means any snow at all.

The last time we had any heavy snow was over 20 years ago, so maybe we're due for some.

Having said that, the weather has been a little strange...

In the summer I usually long for fall. I wouldn't mind a long fall myself. But, as for winter, you can have it. I've yet to turn on my air conditioning, although, I've been tempted to by a few warm evenings.

I don't have to pay for electricity and noticed my neighbors have theirs on constantly. I like to have outside air if I can. I was thinking of fall last night while watching some Bride of Chucky for a few minutes. I guess I still like halloween and miss that part of my youth.

I haven't paid much attention or even noticed what many of you people are saying here though. I am giving some thought to some long underwear and winter boots now though.

Biblically, there was some saying about those days being shortened? I first thought it meant as in life spans....which may also be true. But, now the thought of some seasons being shortened may also be part of the picture and a return to some iceage?

A few days ago one of the documentary channels was about the dimming sun. Supposedly caused by air pollutuion by jet planes.


www.pbs.org...

Some might tie this into 2012 and that we are in for another type of bizarre cycle. I wonder what the climatologists are saying about this?

Anyone read the farmers almanac?
www.farmersalmanac.com...

Didn't notice any mention of this there, but, found mention of it in some blog.

www.dslreports.com...

The movie The Day after Tomorrow did make me wonder if it was prophetic.

We seem to have shifted into a fall pattern in Indiana as well. The last few days have been incredible. We've had highs in the 70's. The other day our high was 75 degrees which is normal for September 23rd. It wasn't 75 because it was cloudy or rainy. It was just a beautiful day. We've had highs in the 70's 4 of the last 6 days and the forecast for the next 2 days is for highs in the 70's. I'm loving it but I suspect a bad winter is coming. With gas bills going higher as it is the last thing we need is a winter with below normal temperatures.