Friday, March 11, 2011

Former NOAA Administrator: "Bleak Assessment"

Former NOAA Administrator D. James Baker wrote the following letter published in the March 7 issue of The New Yorker:
Hendrik Hertzberg’s bleak assessment of American climate policy is on the mark, and should be viewed in the context of an even bleaker global scene, in which China and India will continue their rapid economic growth and accompanying emissions (Comment, February 7th). History shows that changes in energy-capital infrastructure take decades; barring a technical miracle, the concentration of greenhouse gases will likely double or triple by the end of the century, bringing a new and inhospitable planet Earth, rife with extreme weather and other climate disruptions. We should do everything we can to produce green and carbon-free economies while at the same time recognizing that there must be a major effort to adapt to this new Earth. It can be done, but it won’t be easy. The ineffective response to Hurricane Katrina shows that even the most developed countries are unable to respond well to extremes of weather. If that is the best we can do, we have much to learn about how to be prepared for the new climate.
Baker was NOAA Administrator from May 1993 to January 2001. According to his biography (scroll down):
Dr. Baker received his B.S. from Stanford University, and holds a PhD in experimental physics from Cornell University. He has held faculty positions at numerous prestigious research universities, and is the founding President of the Oceanography Society. Author of Planet Earth: The View from Space, Dr. Baker has written more than 100 articles on climate, oceanography, space technology, natural resource management and sustainable development.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Record Moisture Fuels Massive Northeast Snowfall;
Update: Precipitation Records Smashed from DC to New England


6 PM Update: The 1.17" of precipitation at Burlington today exceeded the old record of 0.91" in 1922 by 30%. Burlington climate records began in 1884. The 1.09" which fell yesterday was only slightly short of the record 1.17" set in 1920.

Although Concord, New Hampshire had only a trace of snow, the precipitation of 1.50" broke by almost 50% the old record for March 7 of 1.03" set in 1926. Concord climate records date back to 1871.

Portland, Maine also had a trace of snow, but the 2.09" of precipitation beat the old record of 1.56" set in 1923.

Hartford's 1.50" broke the old record of 1.39" set in 1967; records began 1904. Hartford also had 2.22" the previous day; the record is 2.48" in 1979.

Watertown, New York set a record of 0.92" on Saturday (March 5).

Buffalo also set a record on the 5th with 1.33", drowning the old record of 0.79 set in 1996; records began in 1871.

The 1.73" at Avoca, Pennsylvania yesterday was almost 60% above the old record of 1.13" in 1916; records began in 1901.

Binghamton, New York set a record yesterday with 1.25", nearly doubling the old record of 0.69" in 1956.

Islip, New York set a record of 0.79", beating the old record of 0.64" in 1989. However, Islip records only began in 1986.

The 1.82" at Allentown, Pennsylvania broke the old record of 1.60" set in 1967; records began in 1922.

Mt. Pocono, Pennsylvania set a new record with 2.50", nearly an inch above the old record of 1.59" from 1943; records began in 1901.

Williamsport, Pennsylvania's 1.78" broke the old record of 1.30" in 1959; records began in 1895.

The 2.27" at Harrisburg significantly beat the the old record of 1.40" in 1932; records began in 1888.

Trenton, New Jersey set a new record in a climate history dating back almost a century and a half (since 1865) : 1.77" beat the 1.41" in 1943.

The 2.30" at Washington Dulles more than doubled the old record of 1.12" in 1967, although records only began in 1962.

Blacksburg, Virginia had 1.50", which broke the record of 0.88" in 1959; records began in 1952.

Storm total snowfalls below have been updated through 6 pm, EST.

Original post:
Fed by record-setting moisture amounts, snowfall in northeastern New York and Vermont has ranged up to 30" since Sunday. The daily precipitation of 1.87" at Montpelier was almost triple the old record of 0.68" in 1963.

Here are some double-digit snowfall amounts from the National Weather Service:
********************STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL********************  

LOCATION STORM TOTAL TIME/DATE COMMENTS
SNOWFALL OF
/INCHES/ MEASUREMENT

NEW YORK

..CLINTON COUNTY

PLATTSBURGH 22.0 1100 AM 3/07 CHANNEL 5
MORRISONVILLE 22.0 1100 AM 3/07 PUBLIC

..ESSEX COUNTY

WESTPORT 27.0 930 AM 3/07 SPOTTER
3 N WESTPORT 27.0 911 AM 3/07
1 N LAKE PLACID 23.0 440 PM 3/07 COCORAHS OBSERVER
MORIAH 22.5 909 AM 3/07

..FRANKLIN COUNTY

TUPPER LAKE 29.0 909 AM 3/07 SPOTTER
SARANAC LAKE 29.0 1115 AM 3/07 PUBLIC
CHASM FALLS 26.4 1112 AM 3/07 PUBLIC
WHIPPLEVILLE 17.4 1134 AM 3/07 SPOTTER

VERMONT

..ADDISON COUNTY

BRIDPORT 24.0 100 PM 3/07 SPOTTER
SALISBURY 23.8 541 PM 3/07 PUBLIC
1 WNW ORWELL 23.0 200 PM 3/07 COCORAHS OBSERVER
CORNWALL 22.0 1030 AM 3/07 SPOTTER

..CALEDONIA COUNTY

LYNDONVILLE 21.0 1215 PM 3/07 LYNDON STATE
2 SW SUTTON 19.5 1220 PM 3/07 COOP
ST. JOHNSBURY 17.8 1200 PM 3/07 FAIRBANKS MUSEUM

..CHITTENDEN COUNTY

JERICHO 30.0 1136 AM 3/07 TOWN HIGHWAY
1 ENE NORTH UNDERHIL 26.9 400 PM 3/07 NWS EMPLOYEE
2 NW WESTFORD 26.0 330 PM 3/07 NWS EMPLOYEE
HINESBURG 24.5 400 PM 3/07 PUBLIC
1 NE SOUTH BURLINGTO 24.3 350 PM 3/07 NWS OFFICE
JERICHO CENTER 23.5 1019 AM 3/07 GENERAL PUBLIC
1 ESE NASHVILLE 21.6 110 PM 3/07 NWS EMPLOYEE

..FRANKLIN COUNTY

HIGHGATE CENTER 22.5 400 PM 3/07 PUBLIC
SWANTON 22.2 400 PM 3/07 PUBLIC

..LAMOILLE COUNTY

1 ESE PLEASANT VALLE 30.0 400 PM 3/07 SPOTTER
MORRISVILLE 27.5 458 PM 3/07 PUBLIC
STOWE 27.0 1245 PM 3/07 PUBLIC
3 SSE JEFFERSONVILLE 24.0 542 PM 3/07 COOP OBSERVER
2 ESE NORTH HYDE PAR 24.0 531 PM 3/07 COOP
2 S EDEN 22.0 100 PM 3/07 COOP OBSERVER
8 NW STOWE 16.0 600 PM 3/07 MOUNT MANSFIELD COOP

..ORLEANS COUNTY

1 NE NEWPORT 29.0 430 PM 3/07 COOP OBSERVER
2 WNW STANNARD 18.7 500 PM 3/07 SPOTTER

..WASHINGTON COUNTY

2 NNE WATERBURY CENT 25.5 435 PM 3/07 SPOTTER
1 NW EAST WARREN 22.0 500 PM 3/07
MORETOWN 19.0 1020 AM 3/07 SPOTTER
4 ESE MARSHFIELD 18.5 150 PM 3/07 SPOTTER
CABOT 15.0 1230 PM 3/07 PUBLIC
EAST CALAIS 10.5 929 AM 3/07 GENERAL PUBLIC

Seasonal Outlook

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