Hot: the three letters should speak for themselves. Our thermometer was registering 103 degrees F in the shade by noon. It showed 108 degrees F (again, in the shade) before the day was over. I think it could be off a few degrees, but even if it is, temperatures have been running ten degrees F or more over normal for days, with little relief in site. We’ve had one measurable rain since mid June. It’s miserable. We’re losing trees. We’re losing plants that are supposed to be able to take the heat.
I remember back in the 1970s when scientists said we were heading into a mini ice age. Then came the acceleration of global warming, to nullify the effects of other cyclical climate change. Does anyone else remember the summer of 1988? I was in Boston, where we had week after week in the high 90s with no air conditioning for relief. We ran from sprinkler to sprinkler, sought out fountains, and even, um, “borrowed” a crew van and skinny dipped in Walden Pond, all to try to cool down. That year was one of more than a dozen record breakers since then, with each one signaling scientists to look more closely at climate data. And despite a few bad apples among global warming scientists who complained about critics and tried to figure out over now-public email how to discredit them, the science that indicates global warming is real is now overwhelming. It’s warming, and some of the blame can be found in our lifestyles.
Have you noticed higher temperatures, earlier springs, later falls, or other possible signs of climate change at your homes? How are these changes impacting your family? your garden? your animals? your budget? Do you see signs that seem to discredit global warming?
Copyright 2010 Ozarkhomesteader.
Whew…. 109 F in Hot Springs today, just like yesterday, and tomorrow’s supposed to top that.
Our plants are feeling the heat, especially the grapes. The many oaks on our 2+ acres are slowly but surely turning brown and shedding leaves as though it were October, leaves on our young dogwoods are browning at the edges. We’ve been staying indoors after 11am, all day, every day now for over a week.
Global warming? You bet. My 96-year old mom, who lived in Pasadena, California and has spent the last 40 years living at Lake Constance in Southern Germany, tells me summers there are now exactly like they were in Southern California back in the ’50s and ’60s. She’s been saying that since the mid-1990s, and my daily look at weather.com confirms it. German firefighters are learning brand new skills, like fighting forest fires — a first for the once drizzly, cold Central European country.
Global Warming? Absolutely no doubt.
I’m guessing you’re talking about Hot Springs, CA, but Hot Springs, Arkansas, was about that hot today too. German forest fires? I hadn’t heard about those yet. I hope your oaks and dogwoods survive. Our dogwoods have bit the dust. We may lose our persimmon tree too. Our oaks are suffering but surviving.
Nope, Hot Springs, AR, just down the (scenic) road from you guys. Hot, hot, hot. I’ve been out again watering this morning, just to make sure all the work Jenny and I did in the past two post-California years does not go up in smoke, figuratively.
Oh, wow. Then add all that humidity too. I’m not feeling so bad about getting a few degrees below that here. 109 and humid. Wow. Be careful out there!
I grew up in Colorado and the lake where I skated in the winter doesn’t freeze over anymore. I’m jealous that you have a persimmon tree – yum. Ozark, sent you an email about reposting some links from Nat’l Farmer’s Market Week – let me know.
Our persimmon tree is just getting old enough to produce, but I think we may have lost it.
A lake that doesn’t freeze over anymore? That does sound pretty bad.
I checked–I didn’t get an email from you, but our email is pretty buggy. Feel free to re-post links!
Leave it to me to be the oddball. Our summers have been the same for about the past 15 years (hot with a long dry spell) but last winter was a heck of a lot longer and colder. The upside of that is less insects destroying the garden!
Leigh, I think it’s your 15 years of hot and dry that’s an indicator.
I remember this winter wishing for the cold and snow to end. I don’t think I’ll do that again. I am happy about the insects!
By the way, I thought I had you in my blogroll. You’re added now.
I definitely remember the summer of 1988 as I graduated from high school that year. Graduation day was *hot* (95ish) and windy and sitting outside dressed up with cap and gown really sucked. I also remember the whole summer being really warm. A year or two ago I checked the records via wunderground.com and sure enough it was in the 90s-100s all summer. Yuk.
As to climate change….still not sure how people can deny it based on the evidence but then again people think they’re being clever when they equate local weather patterns with climate change (gee…it’s snowing in Washington DC….so much for climate change!)
Jason, where were you in 1988? I know the Northeast US was miserable but wasn’t sure about elsewhere.
I use Wunderground too but dread opening it these days. As for snow in the winter, I think our summer has already wiped out the colder, snowier winter for our year’s total heat.
Was (and still am) in the northern Chicago burbs. Actually still in the same town (tho I moved around between HS and now…but ended up living in the same town).
It’s got to be painful to be that hot in a city. Then alluring city smells go sour or sharp in the heat.
My most vivid childhood hot, hot summer was the summer of 1980 in the Arkansas Ozarks. Batesville (our closest larger town) was over 100 degrees for nearly 20 straight days, with one day being 111, higher than in Death Valley CA. That really sticks out in my memory. We had no air conditioning back in those days, so I remember them being hot, sticky, and miserable…couldn’t get any relief after sundown either, with lows in the 80s. I was 14 and continued to do teenager stuff, played softball, worked on our farm, etc.
Now, I’ll admit I’m spoiled to a/c. I don’t turn it on until temps reach about 88-90, but on days like this, it seems like it runs constantly.
Hopefully it will break for all of us soon. My garden is doing okay, since lack of rain isn’t our real problem near St. Louis. Our rivers are still at floodstage!
Good luck to everyone, stay cool, and my best wishes for your gardens, orchards, and all your plant life!
I don’t remember the days of no air-conditioning at home but never had it at school. At least we weren’t there in the high summer. Regina, did you play in any of the swimming holes near Batesville?
Ozark, I grew up in Izard County (just north of Batesville) and frequented several of the fine creeks in that part of the Ozarks. One of the best was on Piney Creek near a community called Boswell. There was a big bend in the creek near a short bluff, and the water carved a deep pool under the bluff. We loved to jump off into that pool. It did tend to freak our mom out, though! The best place to spend a hot summer afternoon!
We like the Strawberry River in that vicinity. It’s great to take a canoe and drag it up over shoals and then drift down while we fish and swim. Did you ever go there? I think it’s a hidden gem.
They Strawberry River was too shallow to float near where I lived, but we did float the Spring River east of us, and the Buffalo, of course! I preferred (and still do) fishing to floating, so I spent most of my time in the White River (less than 1/2 mile from our house) or in a creek. Some of the best trout fishing in the world!
We took my mother-in-law to Sylamore at Blanchard Springs last weekend. It was so hot everywhere else but cool there.
I hope we’ll hit the Buffalo for an overnighter before school starts back. We’ve got some favorite fishing spots there for low water–shhhhhhh.
The Spring–well, let’s just say it’s more like the worst of Mardi Gras than a fun place to float and fish these days. The saying now is “what happens on the Spring stays on the Spring.” Even a few years ago it was fun to go there a couple of times a summer, but the atmosphere finally started to get to us. It’s not that we’re prudes; it just got old.
We have had a hot summer up here in Massachusetts. It’s been 80′s or 90′s with high humidity a good deal of the summer. I try not to complain because it was so cold and rainy last summer, but it has been hot.
We have noticed a definite change in weather patterns here. In years past Memorial Day weekend was the big plant the garden weekend. We were undecided this year and didn’t get to it until 4th of July. I already have pumpkins that need to be picked. Other veggies are just growing and getting fruit, but it stays warmer later in the year so we should be good as long as we get them covered if we get frost.
Is weather getting more severe?
Our weather seems to be more severe. Apparently our neck of the woods is part of the new tornado alley. And after a 1-day reprieve from the excessive heat, we’re back in triple digits. At least it finally rained last night–first measurable rain since July 13, second since mid-June. Our grass is crunchy.