WHATS WITH THE EXTREME WEATHER?

The past seven month between November 2011-May 2012 temperatures averaged 49.1 and is 12 degrees above normal of 37.1 degrees.  March had the greatest departure from normal of 8.0 degrees.  During this time frame the winter of 2011-2012 was the second warmest of record (since 1977) behind 2001-2002.  The spring was also the second warmest on record behind 2010.

Nationally, most of the nation averaged 3 to as much as 7 degrees above normal. The greatest departures occurred in the Plains. The exception is the Northwest where temperatures averaged 1.5 to 3 degrees below normal.

2012 (through June) averaged 53.5 and is 2.8 above normal.  So what is the cause of this?  Is it “Climate Change”?  Climate scientist has never seen anything like this. For the last century the record highs and lows have been about even.   This year so far there have been 15,055 record highs and 1, 343 record low. This is the clearest evidence of climate change. The record hear that much of the nation is experiencing is contributing to the wild fires in the West and drought conditions that cover half the nation.  It is hard to say whether the derecho storm that swept across 600 miles was caused by climate change but COULD have made it worse. 

Most of the weather that occurs now occurs in environments that are different than they were 30 or more years ago.

But, I believe too much is being read into short term data and short term climate extremes usually even out over time and do not turn into to a trend.  Some scientists believe that “Climate change” is real and forecast the extremes are going to get worse if they are right.