Winter?

[Jackpine]

I've read, somewhere, sometime, that the overall effect of "global warming" will be to make dry regions "dryer" and wet regions "wetter". We're certainly dryer than normal, and have been for the last 10-15 years. We used to see incredible thunderstorm lightning displays during the summer in what is called our "monsoon" season. I haven't seen one of those for years and years. We are in a severe drought.

At the same time, I note that the southeast has had a pretty good share lately of rain - and it ALWAYS got rain anyway, just not this much. I can't talk about this being a long term trend, but it's been pretty severe this year, hasn't it?

And, of course, scientists say the effects of global warming are not uniform at all. Some places are supposed to be colder than normal. And, some places will just be completely atypical. What I've learned, from everything I've read, is that conditions will simply have "wider" swings and will often become extreme.

My Sister, who lives outside of Colorado Springs, has had several years now of pasture that is too wet to drive through with a truckload of hay for her horses in the late summer when she needs to get the hay in. This is supposed to be an "arid" climate, and it is - they've had droughts that have been VERY hard on the forests but there she is in a "swampy" pastureland.

For what it's worth, I DO believe our climate is changing, and maybe not for our overall benefit.

- Jack