Posted on 01/03/2007 12:23:44 PM PST by presidio9
Whether it's because of global warming, El Nino, or just a really long warm spell, weather in New York City this winter has been awfully strange. With temperatures continually hovering around the 50 degree mark and even occasionally nearing 60, perhaps the most bizarre weather-related incident happened in Brooklyn where cherry blossoms decided to make an early appearance.
At the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, it hardly seems like the dead of winter. Most cherry blossoms don't bloom until the beginning of spring when the winter chill finally begins to warm up. But there hasn't been a winter chill for most of the season, and for that reason, a cherry blossom tree was in practically full bloom on this the second day of January.
"It's very unusual. We have thousands and thousands of flowers on this tree," Dr. Mark Tebbitt told CBS 2.
The cherry blossom tree isn't the only confused species in the area. Turtles that are supposed to be hibernating right now are still going for a daily swim. Birds are plentiful, and the park still receives many visitors -- something they typically don't see during the winter.
CBS 2 Meteorologist John Bolaris says the unseasonable weather should mostly be attributed to El Nino.
"El Nino normally means milder temperatures for the east, and not as much snow. We've had a snowless December for the first time in over 100 years -- one of the third warmest December on record, and if we don't get any snow by this Thursday, which we won't, it'll be the first snowless stretch for winter in over 130 years," Bolaris said.
What's more, the milder temperatures may linger well into the end of the month. "El Nino will continue so we're still looking at an unseasonably mild January, with things finally cooling down for the last part of the month. And the best chances of seeing some snow is going to be from February into March."
People across the tri-state are enjoying what seems to be an early spring -- or is it a late winter? In Central Park today, the only ones in heavy coats were the dogs.
But the pleasant weather has been anything but for local ski resorts. At the Tuxedo Ski Center, the mountains were bare today. "I've been in this business for 18 years and have never seen anything like this," John Blandi of the resort said.
Blandi isn't alone -- New York City experienced its first snowless November and December for the first time since 1877. Its winter with the least amount of snow? You'd have to go back to 1973 when only 2.8 inches of snow fell.
So how much does global warming play into the weather?
"You can relate it to global warming, but over 100 years ago I don't think they were talking about global warming -- in 1877 it was a snowless December and they were probably not mentioning global warming then," Bolaris said. "The last four winter seasons El Nino was missing and we had record setting snow for a single day just last year. Don't put away the snow shovels yet because even in an El Nino year you can still get snow. And always the surprise super storm is not out of the question."
When will winter arrive? It's anyone's guess -- for the time being, temperatures will continue to stay in the 50s in the region for at least the next four to five days.
No, silly, because then it'd be snowing.
We live in east central Indiana. About 10 years ago in the month of February (our coldest month) daffodils were blooming everywhere. The jet stream was unusually high that year, thus the warmer weather.
For Moscow in January that is warm. Those temps are normal for Toronto at this time of year but right now it's sunny and high 40s with no end in sight until at least next week.
We saw cherry blossoms in Seattle the day after Christmas.
No they won't bloom again in the spring. This has happened several times to my spring bulbs. They get fooled by the warm weather and, in fact, are coming up right now (tulips and daffodils). They get creamed by the cold weather when it finally does come (if it does) - that means I won't have any tulips in the spring.
We are hovering around 50 degrees in Detroit and don't have a lick of snow.
Fine by me - but the ski resorts are not liking it a bit.
I remember it being in the 60's in February in Worcester, Mass back in the 80's. I felt like such a dude wearing shorts to class... Then the temperature dropped 60 degrees in three hours, and I didn't feel so special walking back to my dorm.
I'm over here in Jackson county and I'm loving this weather. There were some guys out fishing from a boat this morning.
I tell you the one negative that I have noticed: Tons of roadkill. Every road in my town has at least one squashed squirrel on it. I guess they should be hibernating this time of year, and there's nothing for them to eat, so they are traveling longer distances looking for food. I remember reading somewhere that squirrels do not technically hibernate, but they do slow down considerably when it gets cold. All in all, I think the warm weather is a positive, but I don't like squirrels very much any way. Damn furry-tailed tree rats.
I just took a walk down by Battery Park, and there was a guy KAYACKING over to Liberty Island.
Husband and I were discussing the same thing last nite.
Hope someone can tell us? (maybe algore knows)
At the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, the 76 double-flowering 'Kwanzan' cherry trees are Prunus serrulata, the same tyoe found in DC.
The Prunus subhirtella, also found at BBG are "weeping cherry " trees.
Doh! Nevermind, just saw post 28.
I'm hopin' this will really screw up the mosquitos. Damn things!
I remember it being in the 60's in February in Worcester, Mass back in the 80's. I felt like such a dude wearing shorts to class... Then the temperature dropped 60 degrees in three hours, and I didn't feel so special walking back to my dorm.
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Had something similar happen to me as well. Start out warm in the morning, then freezing in a few hours. Conversely, we've had snow one day and 70 degrees the next. As some local disc jockey once said, if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes and it'll change.
This Winter sucks, but I'm sort of laughing that Joe Kennedy's "p@#e-smoke the dictator" plan is taking a hit.
I remember several events like that in Mass. Outside like it's mid-summer and suddenly Autumn.
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