Super Cold Temps As The Earth Warms??!!

This past week saw several cold temperature records fall in the Bay Area and elsewhere in California. When this happens during the constant news stories about the unmistakable warming of our planet, people often wonder how it can be.

If the Earth is warming, how can we have record cold temps?

Here's an answer by way of a metaphor.

Think about a rushing river. Many of us have stood at a river's edge and seen, among the gush of downward current, the odd eddy current here and there. Because of the randomness of flow, or the shape of the river bed, or the boulders and other obstructions in the river, some water often flows the opposite of the general current. Another way to say it is that while most of the water flows downhill, some of the water goes uphill for brief moments.

Think of global warming as a river. The general warming trend is as visible to scientists (and those of us old enough to seen glaciers decades ago) as the flow of a river.

And yet, all rivers have eddy currents. If one focused closely enough on an eddy current, one would think the water was going up the mountain instead of down. But when one stands back and looks at the big picture, the general trend is obvious.

Expect temperature eddy currents. They may even increase as the river volume grows.