EastonSN+

It's not lowering standards if it is an average departure according to an accepted benchmark. Even taking global warming out of the picture the climate has been changing since the beginning of the Earth, and most understand that the one constant in life is change, it should not expect the 30-year average to equal the 10-year average to equal the 200 year average. We have to give the audience some credit. Elder posters lived through winters of the past and would not benefit from being reminded at this cold departure is not the same as their childhood. The only audience that may gain knowledge are very new posters who have not lived through the past but what is the point in telling that audience? Are they going to care if they feel cold today but the grandparents felt colder? Also it's not an artificial cold month if people feel cold and it is a negative departure from a 30-year average regardless of how fast it's warming. Not sure what you mean about lowering standards to achieve a goal, could you elaborate please.

I tend to disagree. What is the point in putting in a historical context outside of an average? What benefit is gained by stating that a current average departure would not be a negative departure 20/50 years ago when posting in a monthly sub forum?

Like I posted before I have no issue having a separate thread to discuss historical averages and comparisons. Is there a specific objection to this?

Then why do we split out separate weather events? They are weather too.

I responded to it already

I still haven't seen reasonable justification against this position

The problem is cold is is subjective. No matter how we carve it up everybody is going to view it differently, so we kind of need that one common denominator which the common public uses 30-year averages. This winter will end up being colder than average. I am all for a historic forum where we could keep track of top coldest warmest snowiest rainiest of all time.

I think the snowflake is clearly you. You just got triggered by somebody who may have gotten triggered by someone who said it's not too cold so therefore you're part of the issue. Listen if you have an issue with me message me directly and we can settle it one to one instead of clogging up this forum with insults.

How are we not to normalize it when we have to move on with life. What we live in is by definition normal for now. I drive a Tesla to help with the environment. I do what I can as an individual however I am also conscious of the fact that nothing is stopping this warming train at this moment in time and there's nothing I could do about it but accept the fact that temperatures have we have now are The New normal and continue with life.

It's a let's separate memories and past comparisons from current statistics and time periods.

I just responded to rjay, for these monthly forums we have a 30-year average established and we can have the true statistics for each month. We can create other channels where we can compare to past averages or past decades. Could be the memories forum or a new one. What is the value in saying it's below average statistically but heck I was colder in 2004. To me that's a memory.

I always thought putting past averages in the memories section. Or perhaps a new forum relegated to comparing this time to times in our past. This way these monthly forums are focused on the current day and we have a channel to discuss how we are compared to decades of the past.

Why would you state sorry if this is hard to grasp. That's an insult and you know it. If you're older than 30 act like it.

Still a blow average temperature winter given our 30 or average.

It's cut and dry really, we have a 30-year average and it's either above or below that average. Done.

I lived through the '80s and 90s. It's a different time now and it's cold for this 30-year period. Why do we care if it was colder in the past when determining if it's cold now?

Yeah I'm extremely confused by posters saying that it's not really cold. The departures from average are very clear. I wonder if we're plus two in the summer if the same posters are going to say it's not really warm.

I guess what is cold or warm is ultimately determined by the individual. To me this is a cold winter to others maybe not so much guess there's no way to all agree on a measurement. Some may think it's hot cause we are probably+5 from 1812.

Doesn't matter it's still below average. JFK temperatures are suspect in my opinion they're way off the rest of the airports and Central Park.

How has this been an average winter when all three months are going to be below average temperature wise?

My point was why compare a negative or positive departure calculated from a current 30 year average against a past 30-year average. Ie if it's a negative one departure for this month using the current 30 years baseline, why should we compare that to a PAST 30 year average from say 1970 to 1999?

Yeah but you want to know if it's above or below average right that's the whole star of the conversation. My point was taking an average from the past not taking the current average.

I just think if it's above average now or below average now that's all that matters whether we put in a 30-year average or a 50 or average or a 10 year average. Today, is it warmer or colder than average. I don't think there's a need to compare to the past as the environment is always changing through history and will continue to do so, so one inherently knows it's going to be different for various reasons. I know a colder than average temperature today is not going to be colder than average during the ice age, and likely would be way below average during the formation of the Earth. Can't live in the past man. The past is gone.

Why do we care about whether or not we mask warming? I thought the purpose was just a show if a temperature is warmer or colder than an average temperature given a standard baseline in the current time frame we live in? Perhaps it's easier if the departures from average are given on three baselines of 10 years 30 years and 50 years at one Time to cover multiple generations?

So then why not use a 50-year average as a baseline or 100 year average? I just don't get the point of continuously caveating that it was something different in the past as that is the past it does not affect the present. It's either warmer or colder compared to a certain baseline. If someone has to put in extra work to continue to say "but in the past this would have happened" then it's not efficient. If a 30-year baseline is not correct because someone has to keep caveating over and over again then something needs to change. Either change the baseline to be shorter like 10 years to be more relevant to the current time or expand the baseline so that someone doesn't have to continually say over and over again that it was different in the past. I just don't see the added value of caveating that it was different in the past than a current departure from average.