I rained heavily earlier this evening (around Chicago), and now it’s warm. At the end of the year, between December and January, when a few years back we were having blizzards - and now, it’s warm. I heard winters were white and cold here - but not this winter, not at all.
What’s going on? Is this global warming? Ought I to be concerned? I am a bit worried. This is so weird and wrong.
WRS
It’s the same here, WeRSauron. I am concerned and worried. Global warming specialists said that in about 40 years the ice on the poles would melt even further and half of the Netherlands would drown.
:: going to find me a mountain::
It’s the same here. Today’s high is 76, and right now it’s 64.
This is my first full winter in Texas, and it’s really weirding me out.
I don’t know, but they’re talking about temps in the mid 50’s today here in Youngstown.
As a recent transplant from Tennessee, I really don’t mind the warmer weather - but everyone does say it’s weird.
It’s got pretty darn warm in the UK these last couple of days, too. Over Christmas weekend it was cold and frosty, with snow in many parts of the country and temperatures barely climbing above freezing all day, and then it suddenly got stupidly warm with temperatures reaching 16ºC (61ºF) yesterday. Up in Scotland the overnight minimum was 12ºC (54ºF) in places!
I want my cold weather back - had a lovely sunny and frosty walk on Boxing Day and this warm and wet weather just isn’t the same.
I deliberately planned a trip to New York in early January in order to experience some wintery weather. It rarely snows in London (according to my own records, the only snow we had in 2004 was on January 28th and that wasn’t much) so I hoped I might see some over there, or at least feel a bit cold.
Imagine my surprise when I checked the forecast. It sounds as if it’ll be pretty much like the weather here: relatively warm and boring.
Any chance of a sudden cold snap after the 6th?
It’s 7am, the sun hasn’t even started to think about coming up, and it’s 40 degrees out.
This is insane. It’s been above freezing for almost 18 hours now, and it’s a mess. Greater than freezing temps and 3’ of snow do not mix well. Yesterday afternoon, the intersection just west of my house was basically a lake; the sewers must have been clogged, and the melting snow was just sitting in the road.
The ground is still cold, so a layer of ice & slush coats the ground.
New Year’s Eve is gonna be dangerous driving if this keeps up. I’m happy we’re planning on spending it at home.
I’m not far from da UP. Tip o’ the mitt and all. It’s been warm here also. We had thunderstorms last night and it’s about 45 right now at 7 am. All this after 2 feet of snow around christmas.
Texas normally has mild winters though. January and February are our two coldest months where the temps drop into the 20’s and 30’s and stay there more than 48 hours.
It is one of the reasons I have chosen not to move anywhere else. Past winters have had us in shorts and tank tops at Christmas so this is typical for here.
If we get more than 4 days of ice or snow here, then I will get worried.
I’ve lived in the Midwest 40 years now, and in the Chicago area over 20.
Yes, winters around here are normally quite cold, with lots of ice and snow. And yes, the trend seems to be towards warmer on average. However, even 20 years ago it was quite normal to have a mid-winter thaw with temperatures significantly above freezing. These often occur in late January or early February, but are not restricted to those times.
I distinctly recall that New Year’s Day 2000 temps were in the low 60’s here in the greater Chicago area.
I would also like to point out that 50 years ago on December 26, the day my parents were married in St. Louis, the temperature broke 70 degrees that day. So it’s not just global warming at work – such unexpected warm spells in winter are not an entirely new phenomena. Although global warming may make them more common.
It is unusual, but not totally bizarre.
It is raining and 52 degrees here. I am 25 miles from Cleveland. Just one week ago it was sleeting/rain/heavy snow and then a deep freeze. Now all evidence of last weeks storm is just about gone. It feels more like spring than winter. It is really quite weird 
I am not complaining.
I’m not complaining either! My only concern right now is that it is rather wet out, and if it gets colder later, and people are driving, it’s gonna get slickety.
This weather is pretty unusual for us, so it’s hard to know what to expect, but while I’m hoping this weather sticks around, it seems to me there is a good chance it will eventually break; it snowed in NYC on Sunday. Where in NY will you be? If upstate, your chances are even better at seeing some real wintery weather.
The other day The Indianapolis Star ran a wrap-up of the year’s weather. According to their “heating degree days” numbers, 2004 was a little cooler than 2003 in Indianapolis. Your own local numbers may be different, but you might be surprised.
It’s somewhat normal to get warm spells in the winter months. The problem is that it doesn’t take much to turn what would be a normal, run-of-the-mill blizzard into a devastating freezing rain ice storm that knocks out power to hundreds of thousands of people for three weeks…
It was nearly 65 here yesterday (southern Kansas). I’m definitely not complaining, but it’s just a little odd when usually we have snow on the ground this time of year!
I’ve just moved from Ohio to Texas. Right now, it is 69 degrees here in Dallas. I’ll take this any day. In the Midwest, you did get a rare warm up in the winter every now and then. The winter of 2002 was warm with little snow in Ohio.
Manhattan. The Wellington Hotel, 871 Seventh Avenue at 55th Street.
I’m considering a train trip somewhere: Albany or Philadelphia. Which will be colder?
Happy New Year.
Very generally speaking, Albany will most likely be colder than Philadelphia.
The forecast for the next week is fairly mild, but it could easily change… Unfortunately, you and I won’t be wishing for the same thing there 