Submission: 5 - A Change of Seasons: Where will Winter be?

The autumnal equinox has passed and the winter solstice is fast approaching. For us folks in the Northern Hemisphere, that means hot chocolate, snowmen, and sledding. Well, at least in the parts of the Northern Hemisphere that are above the Tropic of Cancer and have a climate conducive for snow accumulation (but for everyone else, there’s still the hot chocolate). While we have come to expect the weather patterns to remain fairly consistent, that is not the case. There are lots of cycles (like tilting, wobbling, and eccentricity of the Earth) that occur, which alter weather patterns, and with global climate change occurring, things are going to start getting even more interesting. I am attempting to withstand the temptation of going into a rant about greenhouse gases and climate. The good people know the importance of it all.

This article just asks the simple question, “Where will winter be in the future?” When I was a senior in high school in lovely, bitterly cold, central Wisconsin, we had ten days off due to the temperature being below minus 50oF during the winter months. The temperature that makes your nose hair freeze the instant that you walk outside and starts to freeze your eyelids. Real cold. I can report that my sis had zero days off last year at the same high school during the same wintry months. Major changes are happening, and they seem to happening tout de suite.

The interesting thing about global climate change is that things are not just going to get warmer. Things are going to get more drastic. When more energy is added to a closed system, differences between geographies become greater and the release of that energy to balance things out becomes more severe. Think stronger hurricanes, longer droughts, heavier monsoons, blizzardlier blizzards. Yes, yes, climates are going to drift, scientists agree with that (well, at least 95% of them) and biotic and abiotic cycles are going to be altered. There are some snazzy models to predict the possible scenarios, but that’s hard for a person to really comprehend. Even the scientists are still finding out new phenomenon.

It’s better to try and think of it on more personal level, like catching snowflakes on your tongue or competing in the Iditarod.

Skiing vs. Snorkeling

A pop quiz: which one will you like more under the auspices of climate change? The skiing may be harder to find: it may be higher up on the mountain or much more northerly (or southerly). Additionally, the snow may not be of the same quality: it could be less fluffy or more crystalline. So, if the skiing isn’t going to be as good as in the past, maybe spending more time at the beach will be more fulfilling. While I do try to be optimistic in my environmentalisms, I am sorry to report that snorkeling could become much less exhilarating as well. Global warming is already causing sensitive coral reef ecosystems to become stressed. Changes in the water will further affect currents, nutrient cycling and biodiversity, most likely causing the extinction of many sea creatures in shallow waters.

Pessimistic advice: enjoy your favorite outdoorsy activities while you can! Or cut your greenhouse gas emissions, or offset them through many various organizations and programs.