Wild Weather

Wild Weather

For today's forecast expect sun and a hi of 67Ð'o. Now let me ask you what is today's date April 20th or January 7th. To everyone's surprise it is January 7th. It has been the warmest winter on record since 1841. Normally we would have had ten inches of snow in this area by this time, but we have only had seven tenths of accumulation. There are a lot of people who are loving the warm weather, but they do not realize the economic and environmental devastation that this is causing.

One of most people's favorite things to do in the winter is to go to ski resorts. These resorts are normally able to make snow to counter any lack there of. But due to the warm temperatures not even that is able to be done. Many popular resorts are on the verge of bankruptcy because of it. In upper state New York, where snow is usually in an abundance, a resort in a small town must shut down leaving nearly a whole town out of jobs. But not only people in the skiing business are suffering. People that own snow removal services and stores that sell winter supplies such as salt and snow blowers have no business. The warm temperatures are taking a lot of money and jobs from the people that depend on these things for a good part of their income.

These abnormally warm temperatures are having a devastating effect on the environment as well. A lot of trees and plants that do not bloom until mid spring have buds and blossoms on them. In Washington DC and in New York City the cherry blossoms have been blooming for a week now, something that does not happen until April. As well as some peach trees in Pennsylvania and Virginia who's crop can be ruined if the temperature drops, which can happen at any time. Some people blame global warming, others blame el niÐ"±o for these temperatures. But what is causing it? No one knows, but one thing is for sure you're either loving it or hating it, there's