Quite the winter this year...

It has been much milder than normal here. I don't think we have had more than a couple of days below freezing so far and have had a number of days of upper 70s and low 80s.

Here in Texas, there has not been a solid freeze this year. I hope there is even a light freeze, just to be able to kill the bugs, or else the next summer will be miserable.

My area here in the southern plains is under a pro longed drought. No snow so far this winter....we average around 8-9" a winter in this area. We have had cold spells with temps down to zero twice but just very little moisture. Yesterday temp was 76 degrees and 2-3 mph winds

Now this time in 2-1'11 to 2-11-'11 our temps went from 81 degrees down to a record 31 below zero with over 36" of snow during that time period.

One 5" snow and several slushers since.

IF we actually get a measurable snow fall today it will be the 2nd this winter and yeah high in the mid 40's to mid 50's by the weekend. At least my heating bills are down.

Yep. 50 degrees here in Northern IL today. tomorrow night it will be 8 degrees. then back in the mid 40`s by the weekend.

It just goes to show that weather is different from region to region. You're having more cold and snow than usual. Others of us are having less than usual. It's a spotty, swirly mess that keeps us all guessing. But overall I don't think we can complain too much... it's manageable.

According to the "experts" there was a time when ice glaciers cut the rivers and canyons in the USA too. What happened to all that ice?

Weather reminds me of my job. As a software tester, it's kind of like, feast or famine. We either have so much work to do, or heads swim, and then a week later it's all over and we wait, and wait, and wait.

I keep reminding my fellow "testers", we all just need to be like a fishing bobber. When the waves come and go, the bobber just floats on the surface, it never sinks (unless a fish pulls on the line). When the water ripple forces the bobber up, it floats up. When the water ripple goes down, the bobber lowers.

So it is with the weather. It goes "up" and "down" all the time. Just be like that little bobber floating on the lake and simply go with the flow. We have no control over it anyway!

Edit: It can't always be sunshine you know. The old expression, "all sunshine makes a desert!"

Some of our best camping experiences, some of the best times we've had, some of the funniest moments we remember happened when it was raining, or a tornado alert was sounded, or it snowed!

Here we go again. Explain the process that leads science to believe the earth is warming, and why it's so unusual. Then explain your reasons to think it's something other than that.

The earth has been gradually warming for the last 11,000+ years since the end of the last ice age. There have been times in earth's climate history when the Vikings were farming where the Greenland ice cap is now, and there have been times when the glacial ice was 2-1/2 miles deep and extended as far south as St Louis, MO. The only constant when it comes to climate is change...

Well there are a couple of things.. First.. Weather follows cycles, there is and 11 year cycle that follows SunSpots. and I'm not sure where we are but as I understand from Dr. T (Spaceweather dot com) we are at one end of that cycle. (Top or bottom I don't know) and if you like powers of 10, well there is another cycle that is around 100-110 years, and another (just and another Zero) and likely another still Longer.. Just keep adding zeros.

Plus there is the effect of industrialization which it seems adds heat.

BUT WAIT: What has SNOW to do with heat? (Actually that is a very good question, and as it turns out it has a very good asnwer)

As the oceans (Also lakes and streams) Heat up the water therein evaporates more easily.. and then it goes up to the clouds. and as they the song says "What Goes UP, Must Come Down" and it comes DOWN as SNOW.

So the fact that 2016 was the hottest year on record, and before that 2015 was, and before that, well you get the idea 2014 and 2013, Well.. That means we get more SNOW as well.. Because what goes up (Water) must come down (Flaky water).