Posted on 07/26/2007 4:56:21 AM PDT by libertarianPA
RENO, Nev. - Nevada is among the states with the most dramatic increase in average temperatures the last 30 years, according to a new study that examines the impact of global warming across the country.
The average temperature in Reno from June through August last year was 75.6 degrees, almost 7 degrees above the 30-year average, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group reported. The gap was the biggest measured nationally.
Las Vegas' average temperature last summer was 3.6 degrees above the 30-year average from 1971-2000, while Elko's was 4 degrees above normal and Ely's was 2.1 degrees hotter, the report said.
"The scientific evidence of global warming is incontrovertible, and Nevada is feeling the heat more intensely than most of the rest of the U.S," said Stephen M. Rowland, Professor of Geology at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
"Only a tiny bit of this increase in temperature can be attributed to increased urbanization the so-called urban heat-island effect," Rowland continued. "Global warming is here, and we better get serious about confronting it."
According to the National Climatic Data Center, the 2006 summer and 2006 overall were the second warmest on record for the lower 48 states. And 2007 is on track to be the second warmest year on record globally.
"Global warming is rewriting the record books in Nevada and across the country," said Jill Bunting, a spokesperson for U.S. PIRG.
"Unless our elected officials act now to curb global warming pollution, Nevada will see more severe heat waves that increase the risk for wildfires, drought, and heat-related illnesses," she said.
The new report found Reno's average temperature from 2000 to 2006 was 3.4 degrees above the 30-year average, the second-highest reading in the nation for the period.
The environmental advocacy group analyzed temperature data collected from 255 weather stations across the country to examine warming temperatures during recent years compared with historical trends.
Nationally, the average temperature during the summer of 2006 was at least half a degree above the 30-year average at 82 percent of locations studied.
Reno experienced 74 days the temperature hit at least 90 degrees in 2006 — 21 more days than the historical average. The average temperature for all of 2006 was 3.3 degrees above normal in Reno, the report said.
The average minimum temperature in Reno last summer — the lowest temperatures recorded on a given day, usually at night — was 59 degrees. That was almost 10 degrees above the normal minimum temperature recorded from 1971 to 2000, again the biggest difference noted nationally.
Warmer nighttime temperatures exacerbate the public health effects of heat waves, since people need cooler nighttime temperatures to recover from excessive heat exposure during the day, the study said.
Las Vegas was second on that list nationally, recording an average minimum temperature of 80.5 degrees last summer — 4.8 degrees above normal. It's average for all of 2006 was 2.8 degrees above normal.
Las Vegas' above-average temperatures in 2006 are part of a broader warming trend since 2000. Between 2000 and 2006, the average temperature was 1.7 degrees above the 30-year average in Las Vegas.
"Nevadans are starting to understand that global warming is affecting us right now, and that our elected officials need to start making some tough choices to protect our quality of life," said Kyle Davis, the Policy Director for the Nevada Conservation League and a member of the Governor's Climate Change Task Force.
MMG(lobal!)W is not only spelling doom and gloom for all of us, it is also inherently unfair - some get it too hot, and some too cold. /sarc
In the central USA, we’ve had a nice July. It is global warming at 66 degrees this morning. July started out with similar unseasonably low temps. We have touched 90 maybe once or twice. [Some previous years have had July temps in the low 100s during the entire month.]
I vote to keep global warming, if we continue to get Julys as pleasant this one this year.
Have you been to Las Vegas lately? Have you seen all the SUVs?
So essentially Nevada’s goons are placing their bic lighters under their weather station temperature measuring devices.
< Eeyore voice > Pathetic.
Simply pathetic.
That's what it is.
< / Eeyore voice >
I believe strippers produce a lot of methane, as well.
Same here in SE Tennessee. It is currently 62 F here at 8:10AM. Normally, it would be in the low 70's. A few days ago we had lows in the upper 50's. Our normal high is in the low 90's this time of year. We are currently seeing mid 80's, for highs. We've also seen 3 cold fronts pass through this month. That is exceedingly rare for this neck of the woods for this time of year.
Given that I work outside on my farm every day, this summer has been nothing short of delightful. If this is global warming, bring it on!
All of those golf courses and watered lawns add up.
Dingy Harry’s hot-air at it again.
The metropolitan areas mentioned have experienced dramatic population growth during that time period. I wonder how much of the temperature rise is due to things like air conditioner exhaust in the vicinity of the measurement devices.
It’s just not fair that Global Warming would slam Nevada while other states get off scott free.
Before I believe this I want to see how many of Nevada’s temperature-measuring stations are located on asphalt parking lots with air conditioner exhausts aimed at them.
Most of it comes from Harry Reid!
Only 6 days over 90 in Cleveland in June and July. The nice cool breezes off of the lake are great. In fact, some days it’s too cool to eat out on the deck. Last few days have been cool and rainy.
Same here in south Texas.
We have had an incredibly cool July, and constant rain since May.
Last year it was about 105 for weeks on end, and now I have to put on a sweatshirt every morning. Cool breezes every night. Hard to believe but very welcome. It’s never over 85 and at night down to the 60’s.
PIRG stands for one of a number of Public Interest Research Groups, which were all founded by Ralph Nader, noted communist. The only good that asshat ever did for the United States was to prevent President Gore.
(1). It doesn't give the average temp. over the past 100 years,
which means the 'study' is flawed and biased.
(2). In the 1930's we had the Dust Bowl, in the 1950's America experienced a multi-year drought and excessive heat. No mention of these in the 'study' though.
(3). The average high temperature in Prescott Arizona in 1934 was 73.73 degrees F.
In 2006 the average high in Prescott Ariz. was 68.10 degrees.
There are all sorts of statistics that people can throw out there, and none of them really prove much of anything, since we only started keeping records just over 100 years ago. But the mass media are trying very hard to prove that the bogus science behind 'global warming' is authentic, and that we should all be shaking in our boots about the future. If they succeed, they will have succeeded in dampening capitalism and ushering in socialism, where the governments of the world will determine how much energy we use, and what we use it for; all under the banner of 'saving the planet'.
Reno is moving closer to hell - especially at night!
Gee....I wonder why they use the 30-year average to compare it to? Why not the 50 year average? 10 year average? Historical average?
Should have been there in 40’s, when it was allot hotter. Funny thing was, there were no SUV’s and allot less people.
‘To be fair and balanced, this reporter should have pointed out that here in PA, we’re experiencing below-normal temps for July. This weekend, the temps will be under 85 for the third time this month.’
Same here next door in Ohio.
Gee, the temperature goes up in a state known for DESERT.
I’m SHOCKED! Shocked and Appalled!
(chuckle)
“To be fair and balanced, this reporter should have pointed out that here in PA, we’re experiencing below-normal temps for July. This weekend, the temps will be under 85 for the third time this month.”
The other thing that would have been good would be to point out that it’s not clear if it’s a short, medium, or long-term trend. It’s ridiculous to invoke “global warming” (which seems to be an assumed long-term trend) for a local fluctuation like that.
I note that last year (the outlier with +7 deg F. above average temp summer) was an El Nino year...
It’s obvious why they only used 30. Had they went back to the 40’s they would have seen a Nevada thats allot hotter than now.
They don’t want you to see this link.
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/vef/climate/figure8.php
Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner. In the 1970's we were heading for another Ice Age. All the scientists and magazine covers told us so. If there is such a thing as "normal" temperature, we were well below it in the 1970s. Just getting back to "normal" would involve significant warming.
Second thought: Does the author realize how contradictory it is to call local temperature changes "global warming"? As many have said: "The plural of anecdote is not 'data'."
It’s obvious why they only used 30. Had they went back to the 40’s they would have seen a Nevada thats allot hotter than now.
They don’t want you to see this link.
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/vef/climate/figure8.php
I know. The whole thing is beyond ridiculous. It’s called WEATHER. And sometimes the WEATHER is hot, and sometimes it’s not so hot.
But nowadays, those fluctuations have to be Human Caused Global Warming.
And the funny thing is, the same scientists and their groupies who are so CONVINCED that this is HCGW based on a few tiny fluctuations in temperature — in terms of geological time, 40 years is like a nanosecond — are the first to explain (correctly) that you can’t expect to witness evolution in the day-to-day because it works on such vast time-scales.
They can’t even apply concepts they understand to the subject of WEATHER.
Wow! I thought they stopped using gas powered slot machines.
Pick a year, any year, and chances are the temp will be below or above a 30, 50, 100, 500 year average. We are talking averages, Professor Rowland.
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