JustinRP37

Birds running into glass each year far outpaces birds killed by wind turbines. And the numbers are not even close: https://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/201/300/avian_conservation_ecology-ef/v01n01-v16n02/www.ace-eco.org/vol8/iss2/art6/ACE-ECO-2013-568.pdf https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320713003522 While we can certainly improve in both regards but window collisions kill an estimated 25 million birds in Canada alone. The USA sees higher estimates. Wind turbines kill around a quarter million birds. Also the mining for EVs batteries will occur regardless of EV adoption as lithium battery use increases.The difference is batteries can be recycled and battery health nearly replaced back to 100% with minimal waste. The true science of sustainability is fascinating once you look at the science and not the “media” reports.

The one bad day was MLK day at Catamount a few days after the rain. It was solid ice. The other 3 days were 2 Belleayre and 1 Thunder Ridge, all of which were amazing. Going to Catamount this weekend to try it out again.

I have to say if you are looking for snow, the Catskills were amazing yesterday. Belleayre had plenty of natural snow and of course deep snow gun snow. Overall it was a beautiful day yesterday with light snow off and on. So far I have had three really amazing ski days this past January and one horrendous day.

Yes, the sciences of climate change is pretty much settled. We have seen major temperature shifts in air and water in the past 100 years. You also have to realize that just 100 years ago we didn’t have internal combustion like we have now. It is vital to life, but the laws of thermodynamics are there. We are taking a buried energy source, burning it to do work, but that energy is still there after combustion, it is just in the atmosphere now instead of in the ground. Humans are very adaptable, but we have cause massive extinctions too. And we also have sea level rise to contend with which you can see in most coastal areas with sunny day flooding. I always welcome people to science. I am glad to share lectures about these topics. Anyone can hit me up on DM to chat. As an environmental scientist, I try to teach from a perspective that shows the change in both a positive and negative light. We need fossil fuels to be where we are, but a change to a reduced carbon or carbon cycling future is much easier to obtain than we think. That said science is not political. Scientists don’t make policy, policy makers do and often with poor knowledge of the subject.

Today was beautiful at Belleayre. Great snow and great conditions.

I will say that having JB on your side is never a good thing. Broken clock... All cold all the time anti science shill.

Snowy rain here in Patterson but coming down heavy enough that we are seeing it whiten the cold areas of the ground. Was not expecting snow this early.

Wow this place is depressing. We just got through a “torch” week without hitting the 60s that so many were touting. Now it looks like the next “torch” period at the beginning of February won’t be that much of a torch at all. Some average days and some just above average days. I think ya’ll need to get out and enjoy what we do have.

Yes, I have seen that but there are huge drawbacks to injecting more S02 into any system. Mainly we are the water planet and S02 will form sulfuric acid leading to acid rain, so that is not a plan we can do on the large scale. The best would be to continue to decarbonize and figure out a way again to make the carbon solid and bury it. We have yet to fully figure out a way to do so. But we do have more than enough studies showing biofuels are feasible (but then converting more land to agriculture could prove problematic). That's not even talking about the biodiversity crisis, etc. The pesticides you mention are a problem and the herbicides like glyphosate too.

It will not happen on a large scale in our lifetime. There are still way too many unknowns and that could also lead to our demise. As an environmental scientist there is still so much we don’t know and I’d honestly say right now are biggest issues are forever chemicals and plastics all causing hormone disruption and fertility issues. Not to derail the thread though. We can talk about climate manipulation elsewhere if you want.

Why cruel? That literally puts me in some good snow. Hop on Metro North and get up to Putnam or Dutchess County. I don’t think we bite up here.

Horrible idea for so many reasons.

I suppose we can give it the Covid exception and offer an extension or extra credit. But I feel like Dr. Son won’t be happy come April if Winter isn’t done with his studies yet.

Yeah I forget about the D- because my institution doesn't give them only D's, odd I know. We also don't give A+ (but don't think we need that for a winter anytime soon). Last winter definitely gets an F and this one is only at the D because I have more than 8 times my snowfall from last year (almost 10 inches this year as opposed to under 1.5 all of last). An F is still on the table though for this year!

Today was one of those days with a big temperature difference between home and the Bronx. Still snow covered in Patterson this morning (but won't last today) to warmer Bronx with steadier rain. Fog overnight was fairly impressive up north. As we approach the midpoint of winter (Feb 3rd) and are past the midpoint of met winter, if this winter were one of my students, I'd be assigning a D so far. That said I see a grade max of a B- depending on February (would have to be a historic change to earn higher) and it is still highly possible winter ends up with a F on the report card.

It is crazy because as Walt just pointed out a decent part of the subforum could see power issues. Could this be the year I regret not getting the house wired yet for a backup generator (my brother in-law gave me a large portable generator that can run most of the house). Going to get that done this spring/summer. This is one of those storms I could see people in the northern burbs not being fully prepared for because of the warmth and rain.

So odd that so many are saying winter is over for the sub forum when my second largest snowfall of the season could be in the way and it wouldn’t take much to make it the biggest snowfall of the season. Last I checked Putnam and Dutchess counties should be included in this sub forum.

This morning felt amazing. Nice to breathe in that cold air and feel it in your lungs. Walked to the train and saw a beautiful snowmaking cloud over Thunder Ridge. I just hope they get the double chairlift fixed soon! Ahh if only this could last 3 straight months. I don’t get why people live in cold climates and complain when it gets cold. I don’t go to Florida and complain at the heat and humidity when I’m there in summertime.

And finally anyone saying winter is done on January 20th should be auto banned in my opinion. That is like saying summer is over July 20th because we have a week of 70s coming up. I get it, and anyone saying winter is done, yeah you could be correct. But if it does indeed snow then you should never offer an opinion again on a weather forum because nobody on January 20th knows with 95% confidence or more that we won't see at least one snowy solution by April. I also noticed many people saying we would be buried in snow during this "favorable pattern" so again we don't know much. With all the fancy tools and knowledge we have, look at the accuracy of 7 day forecasts. Hell, how people like JB still have a job constantly calling for colder than average temperatures or extreme weather constantly, it is mind boggling. Avoid the X folks (both the website and the drug).

I think many on here have never been to upstate NY or Vermont even when it is torchy in NYC metro. While yes things are bleak around much of the metro area, you can literally hop on Amtrak and ride up to Burlington or Rutland and get to Jay Peak, Killington, Stowe, etc and see that they are doing quite well and even with the upcoming warming pattern they have tons of potential there. While it sucks that this week we were be above freezing from Wednesday to Saturday night, the lower Hudson Valley will see snow making resume Sunday night if the humidity cooperates and possibly 24 hour snowmaking on Monday the 29th. Even the upcoming warm period looks much better than it did this time last year when I was riding on slush from Belleayre to Catamount for a period in midwinter. I do think NYC's snow season though may be coming to an abrupt end but I don't think the rest of the area will be similar.

Poconos are also a hot spot now. Same as central MA. Any time it is above 40 for a period of time the adult ticks will become active again. Never used to happen in the winter but now we pretty much see them throughout. Look at next week. Plenty of 40+ degree days with warm overnight lows. The deer are basically the singles bar for ticks. They mate on the deer. Mice harbor the diseases and act as the reservoir hosts. If you can decrease the deer you decrease the tick abundance. Best pesticide for clothes is permethrin. That stuff is excellent and I highly recommend that with tick checks still. Remember it is the tick you don’t find that will give you disease. As much as I don’t like using pesticides on my lawn, I do use it in the spring to help keep the ticks out of the yard so my son can play.

Last year was a moderate to low season for blacklegged ticks (aka deer ticks) across the region. Our lab does surveillance across the lower Hudson Valley. In the past few decades too we have also seen far fewer ticks carrying the Lyme spirochete bacteria as well. However to the north that number is increasing. That said across the island the Lone Star tick has been increasing in numbers. That tick is also a more aggressive feeder. Then we also have the Asian longhorned tick, which is an invasive tick, spreading throughout the region. So it is a mixed bag.

Thanks for all this. I was laughed at for suggesting we put way too much emphasis on the MJO when there are plenty of other factors to look into. The MJO plays a role, but like everything in environmental science and meteorology there are millions of things going on all at once so we can never pick just one variable and say this is the be all end all. Just like the people that say snowless warm winters help tick populations, we now know that is not true.

Alright, I gotta ask, how is a person from Smithtown, NY a Carolina Hurricanes fan? Team ripped my heart out in 1997 when the Whalers announced they were moving to Carolina. Sorry for the off-topic but I keep seeing your icon and I gotta know. We take our Islanders, Rangers, and Devils seriously up here haha.

Naw you are good. I honestly do hope I eat crow. I'm still bitter over ice block skiing yesterday at Catamount.