The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) released its Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX) on 28 March.  You can read the the full press release from the following link.  http://ipcc.ch/news_and_events/docs/srex/SREX_launch_media_advisory.pdf

The report was authored by 220 scientists from 62 counties around the world.  It was based off of hundreds of studies from across the globe that have been peer-reviewed at least 2 to 3 times.  Some of the major points in the press release regarding climate change over the coming decades include.

• Heat waves will likely increase in frequency, duration, and intensity.
• Sea levels will very likely continue rising, causing increased coastal flooding.
• Heavy precipitation events will likely to increase in frequency especially in higher latitudes and tropical regions during the summer and in northern mid latitudes during the winter.
• It is somewhat probable that droughts will increase in duration and intensity especially in central and southern Europe, the Mediterranean Area, North America, Central America, Mexico, northeast Brazil, and Southern Africa.
• It is extremely likely that the frequency of daily record high temperatures will increase and daily record low temperatures will decrease across the globe.
• It is likely that economic losses from climate-related disasters will increase.  (Part of this is due to greater population with time living in risky areas).

You can read the full 600 page IPCC report here.  Good luck!  http://ipcc.ch/news_and_events/docs/srex/SREX_launch_media_advisory.pdf

Posted under AGW, Climate Change, Drought, Education, Heat, International Weather, Natural Disasters, Science, Weather NEws, World Weather

On Wednesday we had another record-breaking day across northcentral Wisconsin. That makes 8 record highs in a row and 10 record highs during the last 12 days. Today will probably be the end of the record streak as more clouds and a few light showers are moving through the area. Even though the record highs are probably done, temps will remain well above normal in the 50s and 60s through the end of the month and that means we will very likely set the record for the warmest March ever (in Wausau). The old record for the warmest March occurred in 1910 when the average high temperature was 43.3. So far this year the average temperature for the month is 45.1. The way things look now, the average (mean) temperature could rise up to around 50 before the month is done, so we will likely beat the old record by a few degrees. It is interesting to note that the old record is from a time period which was more known for record lows than record highs. It goes to show that the weather can be surprising. There was a record warm March over a 100 years ago when the climate was cooler. I suppose we could see some record cold at some point in the near future, even though the climate is warmer now. Just look at what happened in central Europe this past Winter.

Back to the topic at hand, the record warm March. Some people have been wondering if the very warm March (and very mild Winter) will lead to a blisteringly hot Summer. In order to find out, I took a look back at the weather records. We have some hand written records that go back to the mid 1970s here at the weather office. They are good for seeing the general trends for different months and years, so I “eye-balled” the highs and lows for months of March for the past 40 years. Then I browsed through the May through August time periods to see if any of those months were hot during the same years as the “hot” March. There were 12 above normal months of March in our records and only two of them were followed by what I would call a “hot” Summer. In 1987, the very warm March was followed by a May, June, and July that were 5 degrees above normal. In 1995, the warm March was followed by a hot Summer. As I mentioned earlier this week, 1995 was the year when we had 9 days in a row of 90 degree weather in the middle of June and it was the last year that we officially experienced 100 degrees in Wausau. The temp rose up to 102 for one day in the middle of July.

There were 3 different warm months of March that were followed by a little above normal summertime temps. There were 4 warm months of March followed by normal or below normal Summer temps. There were three other years where a warm March was followed by at least one hot month later in the Summer, but overall temps were close to normal the rest of the time. So as a rough estimate, it would seem that there would be about a 50/50 chance of having some hot weather later in the year when we have a “hot” March.

For a more rigorous calculation I looked back at the top 20 warmest months of March we have in the record books for Wausau (can be viewed in the Wausau weather book here). I compared these to the top 20 warmest months of May, June, July, and August. It turns out that 10 of the top 20 warm months of March were followed by at least one month later in the warm season (May through August) that was also in the top 20 for warmth.

Some examples: The current record-holder for the warmest March ever is 1910. During that year we also had the 14th warmest June and the 18th warmest July. More recently in 2000 we noted the 2nd warmest March in Wausau and that same year we had the 20th warmest May and the 19th warmest August. In 1995 we had the 15th warmest March and that was followed by the 3rd warmest June and the 4th warmest August.

Using the monthly records we once again find that about 50% of the time, a very warm March is followed by some hot (above normal) weather later in the Summer. 50/50. It figures, right? Many people remark that forecasting the weather is like flipping a coin. It really isn’t but in this case the statistics just happen to fall 50/50. So what do I think? I am going to err on the warm side for the Summer forecast. I think one or two of the months during the period from May through August will find their way into the top 20. Officially, the CPC forecasts that we discussed earlier this week are not picking up any direction toward warmer or colder temps, putting us in the “equal chances” for either or. I think the odds are a little higher that we will have continued warmer than normal conditions at some point during the May through August time period because the general global trend has been warmer over the past few decades. The ocean temps are warmer. The ice in the arctic is thinner. These things matter, and I think tilt the odds toward warmer weather here in Wisconsin as well.

Another thing that will be interesting to see is if March will be warmer than some other months this year. The mean temp for April is 44 and for May it is 57. If for some reason we end up with a very cool pattern in May, it is conceivable that the mean temperature could be as low as 50 which would put it on par with March. There have been 10 different months of May in Wausau that have had a mean temp around 50 or lower.

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And now for something completely different. Have you seen the Human BirdWings video? It is stirring up a bunch of controversy. Is it an Internet fake? Has the person actually achieved flight by flapping wings? You can read about the effort a little more in depth here. Seeing is believing, except on the Internet. If I saw it in person, then I would believe it. Since I have not seen it in person, I don’t yet. A couple of interesting points about the physics of the situation: some people have calculated that it might be possible with the motors he used combined with human power AND a 10 to 15 mph head wind. The flight would be possible based on energy calculations alone. I didn’t notice a whole lot of wind in the video. Also, it would be difficult to stand still in a 10 to 15 mph wind with such large wings attached to your body. At 15 mph, you might even be knocked over. Of course, birds can fly with no wind. If he is using correct flapping motion, then there would not be as much need for a head wind.

Another aspect that hints toward fake is that the video is dis-jointed. For such a spectacular achievement, you would think they would have recorded the entire flight from different angles and posted the entire videos. You would think they would have brought more witnesses. They apparently achieved the flight in a public park in the middle of a city in Europe. How come no one else was around and is now talking about it, posting pictures on facebook and such?

In the end, I hope it is real. The set-up doesn’t look too expensive. It would be fun to try it out. What do you think?

Have a good Thursday! Meteorologist Justin Loew.

Posted under Heat, Records, Technology

Last week Tony did a good job putting the current warm spell into perspective and now we have a few more days of data to help with that endeavor. Since March 10th we have recorded 8 record high temps (that is 8 out of the last 10 days). We have noted record highs for the last 6 days in a row and will likely have 2 more before the record-breaking ends. So we will end up with record high temps on 10 of the 12 days between March 10th and March 21st. We will also have a stretch of 8 days in a row with record high temps.

Just going by memory and the historical data I have easily on hand here at the weather office, there are only two or three other record warm spells that can compare to this one. In 2000, we had a spell of record high temps from late February through early March when we had 12 record high over the course of 16 days. The records were generally about 25 to 30 degrees above normal with a couple of days hitting the 70s. By comparison, the records during this spell have been around 35 degrees above normal on at least 5 of the days, so it is a bit more extreme, even if we don’t quite reach the same number of records as back in 2000.

Another famous record setting spell of hot weather occurred back in 1936. From July 7th through July 15th we had 9 days in a row of record high temperatures. The records were all in the upper 90s or the 100s. If I had access to more detailed daily reports (not just the record highs), then we might find that the hot spell was a little longer, just not record-breaking. Those record temperatures were about 20 to 25 degrees above normal, so while those days were blazingly hot, they were not as far above normal as we are experiencing now.

Another long hot spell that I remember is from June of 1995. During that year we had 9 days in a row (from the 17th to the 25th) with highs temps in the 90s (preceded by a couple of days in the upper 80s). It was a remarkable hot spell with temps 15 to 20 degrees above normal but only three of the days were records.

So there are a few comparable long record-breaking warm spells in our history but the current one ranks near the top in terms of duration and the degree above normal. Also, most of the long record spells are from more recent times, the 1990s and 2000s. Outside of the 1930s dustbowl years, when there were record-high temps nearly every year, the general pattern has been for warmer weather throughout the 1900s and into the 2000s. This makes sense from the long-term perspective in that we were just emerging from the little ice age in the 1800s and early 1900s. One would expect the climate to warm-up. It also fits fairly well with the modern anthropogenic global warming (AGW) theory. One warm spell does not conclusively prove anything, but it does add to the body of evidence. It adds to the average trend and if temps continue to climb, then it adds to the validity of AGW theory.

So what is in the future? I could say for sure what is in store for decades to come because of the non-linear nature of society and the climate, but for the relatively short term Tony blogged about the latest CPC monthly outlook yesterday. It looks like a good chance that April will be above normal as well. If you take a look a little further into the year (in the products section of the CPC), the CPC models do not detect a significant trend either way (cooler or warmer than normal) from May all the way through the Summer. I am hoping things do not stay too far above normal all the way through the Summer. Many days in a row of hot a humid weather can be just as unbearable as below zero temps in the Winter.

Have a good Tuesday! Meteorologist Justin Loew.

Posted under AGW, Climate Change, Heat, Records

First off, the comment section should be working again. For those of you reading today, maybe make a little test comment to say hi or tell your favorite joke you have heard recently. If things aren’t working, we will take another whack at the problem.

Most everyone is raving about the recent record warmth, which is understandable, just remember that it can come with some negative consequences as well. Due to the persistent warmth, the maple syrup harvest will likely be quite poor this year. Growers of fruit trees here in Wisconsin and other parts of the country could experience a poor growing season if we end up with some hard frost later this month or in April. The problem is that the cherry trees (and probably some apple trees as well) are getting buds and might flower early. The flowers are highly susceptible to frost. If the buds or blossoms are killed off by frost, some crops could be decimated. Recent research has also shown a negative effect on some animals. Butterfly populations in the Rocky Mountain states have declined in recent years because of an earlier start to the growing season.

Cherry Blossoms

It seems they have the same problem that we might encounter this year. When mountain flowers bloom too early, they can be killed by a hard frost. Then when the butterflies hatch, they do not have as much food to support their life cycle. There is another negative aspect of current heat waves which I won’t recap here but you can find in this past blog post.

So continue to enjoy the warm weather but remember that from a natural perspective, it would be much better if our current warm spell was producing high temps around 45 or 50, instead of 60s and 70s. Speaking of 70s, we will probably not have 70s in most of the area again until this weekend. High temperatures today and tomorrow will likely be in the mid to upper 60s. This is still warm enough to potentially break some records, it will just not feel as much like Summer. The record high in Wausau today is 65 and the record high tomorrow is 68. Right now I am forecast highs of 66 and 68 respectively.

It will feel a lot more like Summer again over the weekend, not only becuase high temps will likely reach the low to mid 70s, but because the humidity will be rising as well. The increasing dewpoints will lead to a chance of widely scattered showers and thunderstorms from Saturday all the way through the middle of next week, but it should not be enough rain (or last long enough) on any particular day to ruin your outdoor plans. We should break some record high temps on Saturday and Sunday but on Monday it will be iffy as the record is 73. Here are the records highs that were broken yesterday with the old record in parentheses.

• Wisconsin Rapids 77 (72)
• Wausau 75 (67)
• Stevens Point 75 (67)
• Marshfield 75 (65)
• Merrill 72 (65)
• Antigo 72 (64)
• Rhinelander 71 (62)

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Earlier this week I was mentioning how efficiency gains do not always translate into a better environment and less pollution, because as energy becomes cheaper we tend to use more of it…a lot more. As we mature further into the information age, I think efficiency gains will produce more positive results because we won’t have as much need to move large masses of product and people around the globe.

Therefore, it is a good sign that solar power continues to get cheaper by the day. Some would say a lot of it has to do with a glut of solar panels on the market and/or subsidy support from the Chinese government, but there is also a lot of technological innovation going on. It might take a while for green energy technologies to have an impact on pollution levels but we are moving in the right direction rather fast.

A recent study has suggested that technological advances should allow manufacturers to bring the price of solar panels (and solar generated electricity) down to levels comparable with coal before the end of this decade. This was not considered remotely possible just 5 or 10 years ago, but that is how far we have advanced.

Several companies are making this happen with different approaches. One method involves using less silicon to make the panels.

Twin Creeks thin solar panel

Current manufacturing for silicon solar panels wastes a lot of silicon. Ampulse is using a new vapor deposition method to create thin silicon cells from the “bottom up” and Twin Creeks has developed a way to “peel” thin layers of silicon off of bulk silicon (ingots/blocks). I have not seen any numbers as to the efficiency of the related products but they should become available soon as these two companies license their methods to other producers. If the thin silicon wafers work as promised, solar panels could come down in price to 50 cents per watt or less.

Other more speculative research has involved the use of silicon nanoshells to absorb more light from the sun, thus making solar panels more efficient. Also, computer simulations at MIT have shown the potential for precisely manufactured metamaterials that have ridges and valleys on their surface could absorb more wavelengths of light. In the realm of solar thermal power, a company called Halotechnics is developing newer materials that will allow thermal plants to operate at a higher temperature. This would increase the efficiency solar thermal plants which are already more efficient than photovoltaics.

In other great news, Solar Frontier is dramatically expanding its operations in Japan. They of course have basically shut down their nuclear power plants and are looking for alternatives. Hopefully solar power will fill more of the need going forward. Also, UCLA scientists have just broken a world record efficiency at 10.6% for cheap-to-produce tandem solar cells.

In not so good news, Abound Solar is starting to lay off employees and First Solar is talking about not opening some of its new manufacturing facilites. It is a tough marketplace and not all companies will thrive.

The most disturbing news in solar energy is that installation and permitting costs continue to be stubbornly high. At least some web-centric entrepreneurs are trying to reduce some of these costs. Even company Eight19 is battling against government permitting and installation costs in trying to sell very cheap thin film solar panels in developing countries. I would expect someone to have come up with a cheaper way to install solar panels by now, but I suppose it quite often involves work on steep roofs and this can be complicated. As far as permitting goes, it is almost unconscionable that governments are getting in the way of solar adoption. If they want more alternative energy, they should keep their bureaucrats and regulations under control.

Have a nice Thursday! Meteorologists Justin Loew.

Posted under Alternative Energy, Heat, Records, Spring

Record warmth on Sunday

Click here to view the video!

The weekend of March 10-11 recorded 19 new record high temperature readings across Northcentral and Northeastern Wisconsin, according to data released by the National Weather Service.

Seven records were set on Sat. Mar. 10 while 12 were recorded on Sun. Mar. 11. 

The warmest reading for the weekend was in Wisconsin Rapids.  The city hit 67 degrees on Sunday breaking the old record of 62 degrees set in 2006.

Wisconsin Rapids was also the warmest community on Saturday hitting 65 degrees.  That reading beat the previous record of 61 degrees recorded in 1977.    

Wausau saw new high temperature records on both days.  On Saturday the city reached 61 degrees beating the previous record of 56 degrees from 1977.  Sunday afternoon saw temperatures reach 63 degrees, bypassing the earlier record holder of 55 degrees recorded in 1995. 

Marshfield, Oshkosh and Manitowoc were all able to reach 65 degrees on Sunday afternoon setting new records for each community. 

The oldest record broken during the weekend was from Mar. 11, 1973.  Green Bay reached a high of 63 degrees on Sunday, edging out its previous record for the date by one degree.

Three records were broken in the Northwoods.  Antigo reached 59 degrees breaking the old record of 55 degrees set in 1977.  Merrill warmed to 61 degrees eclipsing the previous record of 58 degrees also set in 1977.  Rhinelander beat its previous record high of 58 degrees recorded in both 1977 and 1995.  The city reached 59 degrees on Sunday afternoon.

To see the data straight from the NWS, follow this link: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/product.php?site=grb&product=rer&issuedby=GRB&format=CI&version=1&glossary=0

Posted under Environment, Heat, Nature, Records, Science, Seasonal Items, Spring, Weather History, Weather NEws

During the last week or so I have been updating the blog with news about the attempt to drill into Lake Vostok in Antarctica. It is a story I have followed for a few years because it could turn out to be a significant scientific discovery. The lake has been isolated from the environment for hundreds of thousands of years and more likely millions of years. Life that was once in the lake when it was not covered with 2 miles of ice, might have evolved into strange new forms. Or the lake might be sterile due to the presence of too much oxygen. In that case it would be interesting as well be cause it would be the only place on earth where there is a body of water but no life.

So what has brought this lake into focus again? A Russian drilling program has now reached the surface of the lake - or so they think. They are very close but cannot say for certain if they have reached liquid water that is part of the lake or just some liquid water in the sheet of ice. In any case you will have to hold your enthusiasm for a few months because they have shut down the drilling operation for the season. They have sent most of the engineers and scientists home until late next fall when Summer sunlight and warmer temps return. Only two people will remain to keep an eye on the bore hole. And that is the most interesting part of the story right now. Could you imagine spending a few months near the south pole, a thousand miles from the nearest human, thousands of miles away from any significant civilization, with hardly any daylight? The only thing stirring within hundreds of miles would be you and your comrade. I suppose there is a good communication link (satellite) nowadays that would allow for voice and maybe video communication. That would make it better, but it would still be a tough stint. Having seen The Thing, I would probably be a bit freaked-out for such a mission.

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State Temps During January 2012

From bitter cold Antarctica to a very mild contiguous United States. If you thought that this Winter was a bit milder than normal, you are not mistaken. The NCDC has released state-by-state statistics for the month of January (2012) and it turns out that almost every state had above normal temperatures. In Wisconsin it was the 10th warmest out of the last 118 years. The only states that experienced normal temps were Washington and Florida. Alaska was the only state with below normal temps. In fact, it was the record coldest January in many parts of Alaska. Not only have they experienced record cold but very heavy near record snow in some parts as well.

For anyone who follows the weather you are probably aware of the inverse correlation between weather in Alaska and the contiguous U.S. When it is warmer than normal in the lower 48, it is almost always colder in Alaska. When it is mild in Alaska, the bitter cold tends to move down into the lower 48. If you want to dig into past temperature data from around the U.S. take a look at this interactive web page at the NCDC.

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Alta Devices Solar Panel

Now another blast of good news from the solar power industry. Early this week I profiled Semprius, a company that has claimed the record for the highest efficiency using concentrated solar panels. Another company recently broke a record as well, but this time for regular (non light concentrating) solar panels. Alta Devices’ commercial solar panel has reached an efficiency of 23.5%. I detailed their devices in a past blog post as well. What is even more impressive is that their goal is to be cost competitive with fossil fuel generated electricity WITHOUT government subsidies. Hooray for Alta Devices!

In more speculative solar energy research, at the University of Cambrige scientists have come up with a design that might squeeze 25% more effciency out of today’s solar panels. They are combining inorganic and organic layers within one solar cell in order to capture more energy from the blue light of the visible spectrum.

Have a nice Thursday! Meteorologist Justin Loew.

Posted under Alternative Energy, Ecology, Environment, Geology, Heat, Monthly Recap, Seasonal Items, Technology, World Weather

The last 10 days have been extraordinarily pleasant in our region as you know.  High temperatures have been 15 to 20 degrees above normal.   Through October 10th, we’ve had 8 days in a row with highs above 70 degrees in the Wausau area.  So just how unusual is this?

Well, if you just look at last October you might conclude that it happens every year.  In October 2010, we had a stretch very similar to this, early in the month, where we reached 70 degrees or better on 7 consecutive days.  Now there is a shot that the current stretch we are in could extend 2 more days, making it 10 days in a row.  We are forecasting highs close to 70 through Wednesday.  I can assure you though, that these long exceptionally warm spells are very unusual for October in Wisconsin.

Look at the data below.  Since 1996, most Octobers only have streaks of 1 to 5 consecutive days of such warm weather.

OCTOBER HOT STREAKS (# of consecutive days with 70+ degrees)

•  2011     8+?
•  2010    7
•  2009    0
• 2008     3
• 2007     5
• 2006     3
• 2005     5
• 2004     1
• 2003     5
• 2002     1
• 2001      2
• 2000     2
• 1999      1
• 1998      1
• 1997     4
• 1996     2

Again, last year had the closest stretch to what we have achieved this October.  It’s interesting to note that we had a moderate to strong La Nina developing last fall and La Nina is developing again this fall.  It’s possible that this has been a contributor to these summer encores.

Posted under Fall, Heat, Weather NEws

Record heat this weekend.

At least six high temperature records were tied or broken this weekend in Central Wisconsin. 

But of the activity for the record books, what happened in Antigo on Sunday was most impressive.  The city hit 79 degrees in the afternoon breaking the old record of 78 but just one degree.  But that record had stood since 1905, that’s 106 years! 

Antigo’s record-breaking afternoon was one of two records to fall during the afternoon.  Rhinelander hit 80 degrees topping the previous record of 76 degrees set back in 1966. 

On Saturday, Wausau tied its record high temperature of 80 degrees.  What it broke wasn’t very old though, the previous record was set just one year ago on October 8th, 2010.  The next day Wausau again tied its record high temperature hitting 79 degrees–the same reading from October 9, 1905.  

South of the city, both Marshfield and Stevens Point made their way into the record books.  Marshfield broke it’s record high temperature by one degree hitting 79 this afternoon.  That broke the record from 1966.  Stevens Point’s 81 degree high tied the same reading that occurred on October 9, 1905!

WOW! What a weekend! 

To learn more, check out this report from the National Weather Service.

Posted under Heat, Nature, Records, Science, Seasonal Items, Weather History, Weather NEws

The average August temperature in the United States was 3.0 degrees warmer than usual according to recently released climate data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Statistics indicate the month of August 2011’s average temperature was 75.7 degrees.   

NOAA is using figures that compare data from years 1901 to 2000.  The numbers are then used to determine the above-average temperatures that have been felt around the country.  A sizeable portion of the United States saw new record warmest recordings for the month of August. 

Data including the full summer indicate an average temperature in the United Statesof 74.5 degrees in 2011.  That puts it 2.4 degrees above what’s usually seen in an average summer. 

A map showing how average August temperatures compared with normal.

Central Wisconsin was noted for having above average temperatures in August along with the majority of the state.  Only two of the nine regions in Wisconsin broken down by NOAA were noted as experiencing near normal temperature readings.

A large section of the southern tier of the United States saw new record warmest readings for August.  All but one region of Texas and New Mexico were among the areas experiencing record heat. 

Problems were also compounded considering the worsening drought situation in the south.  According to the US Drought Monitor “despite record rainfall in parts of the country, drought covered about one-third of the contiguous United States.”   

The figures released on September 8^th also included a laundry list of other notable climate features that have been recently recorded.  Among the most notable is that not one state had monthly average temperatures below the usual values, with only nine titled under the category of being “near-normal.” 

To read the entire story and see the data, follow this link to go to the NOAA page where the information is broken down.

Posted under Drought, Environment, Heat, Nature, Records, Science, Seasonal Items, Summer, Weather History

It’s nice to be back in lush, green Wisconsin after spending several days on vacation in Nevada and Arizona.  I had a good time and enjoyed seeing some much different landscapes.   Ironically I hit Las Vegas on the hottest days of the season.  It was record high territory up around 110 to 112 degrees.  At night, the temperature never dropped below 85 while I was there.   Oh it was a dry heat, but still overwhelming in my opinion.  I could see how you could be in a world of hurt in a hurry if you were trapped out in the hot desert without water or shade.

Besides air conditioning, I found it interesting some of the other coping mechanisms they use.  Various spots, where one might spend standing in line waiting outside of buildings, had misters.  It definitely cooled it a few degrees in those areas through evaporation and offered some relief.    We watched the fountain show outside the Bellagio Hotel.  The spraying fountains also had a noticeable cooling effect which made me want to linger there a bit longer.  Many of the buildings and homes were white or a light tan color to absorb less of the sun’s heat.  And of course there are a lot of swimming pools.  Out at Grand Canyon west rim the visitor center had some large permanent shades installed outside to sit under to eat lunch and rest.  They were high enough up to allow a decent breeze to blow under as well.  I saw a road construction worker with a wet towel stuffed under his hard hat and draped down his neck.  That’s pretty clever.

On our bus tour to the Grand Canyon, we drove by Lake Mead and Hoover Dam.  The tour guide pointed out that the lake level is about 100 feet below what it used to be.  It was interesting to see the color line on the canyon walls to where the water used to be.  The calcium in the water had turned the walls white up to the level where the water used to be.  It is a sobering thing to think about how many millions of people rely on the water in that lake.   I did not realize it was originally built for the people of Los Angels and San Diego.  Las Vegas began using it later on. 

Seeing the vast miles of sand, rock, and dry barren mountains speckled with scrubby brush and cactus was really something for me.  Living in Wisconsin, I guess it’s easy to take for granted lush green trees, grass, and crops everywhere you look.  We saw some rough looking cattle out grazing.  Apparently it takes about 6 acres out there to support just one cow, since there is so very little nutritional vegetation.  I must say we did go by some very beautiful  joshua tree stands.   It’s pretty cool to think they can live up to 4000 years.  They are some tough critters for sure as they survive on just the 3 inches of precipitation the area averages per year.

I saw a few dust devils swirling out in the desert as well, below some weak high based showers that popped up in the afternoons.  Seeing the desert firsthand, I’m left with a greater sense of amazement at all the variety of climates this Earth has.   I don’t think I would ever feel comfortable living in that area permanently.  I suppose that is how hot desert residents would feel coming up to Wisconsin in the winter.  They probably can’t understand how we deal with the discomfort and harshness of it for such extended periods of time.

Well maybe my next trip I’ll have to go to northern Alaska or the North Pole to check out a truly polar location.    How about you?  Have you gone to places where the climate is so different that it changed your perspective on your home or life?

Posted under Heat, Travel, World Weather