Friday, February 14, 2014

Weather and Climate


 Well here we are on Valentine's Day, another 18" of snow, a dead snow blower, and the snow plows keep putting a ton or more in the drive which I now shovel by hand. Primitive man returns. Got the driveway clean and the roof raked of excess snow. Don't want any collapses.

Now about weather and Global Warming. Based on the weather it is going into a freeze cycle. Based on 25 years of data the Hemerocallis still are blooming earlier. They integrate light and warmth. But this year we won't see grass until May! So will this change things. Microclimates are funny that way.

The interesting factor is all this snow really changes the albedo. Namely heat goes back out to space. Plants are kept at just above 32F but get no sun. Thus I am interested in the data of first bloom. The Hemerocallis is a sentinel plant, namely the bloom date of the early bloomers integrates many climactic factors, even from year to year. I am interested in how this will play out.

We will wait and see. While we do we expect another snow fall tonight and my new snow blower is not due until March 1. Perhaps I may see my car soon.