Occasional Thoughts on Climate Change

[tacoman25]

On 12/25/2025 at 1:50 PM, WolfStock1 said:

 

Weather vs Climate.

When looking at climate looking at single month, or even a single year, is meaningless - it's noise.   You have to look at multi-year or even multi-decade averages to determine what's really going on.

Of course. It's just interesting that despite the warming we've seen, over the short term there can still be some very cold periods regionally. 

This convo started, of course, with short term extreme warmth examples - which also happened to a slightly less warm degree 100 years ago.

[SnoSki14]

15 hours ago, tacoman25 said:

Of course. It's just interesting that despite the warming we've seen, over the short term there can still be some very cold periods regionally. 

This convo started, of course, with short term extreme warmth examples - which also happened to a slightly less warm degree 100 years ago.

Because it's not linear or evenly spread out plus it's weather vs climate. Look at the grand scope and you'll see warmth dominate over both a larger area and time frame. 

For example despite December being cold in the northeast US it absolutely torched for 2/3 of the country with record breaking all time December warmth in many spots. 

[tacoman25]

6 hours ago, SnoSki14 said:

Because it's not linear or evenly spread out plus it's weather vs climate. Look at the grand scope and you'll see warmth dominate over both a larger area and time frame. 

For example despite December being cold in the northeast US it absolutely torched for 2/3 of the country with record breaking all time December warmth in many spots. 

Is that not weather?

And when you include AK, not even close to 2/3 of the country torched. Alaska is pretty big.

[tacoman25]

If December ended today, it would be Juneau's coldest on record. 

[SnoSki14]

On 12/27/2025 at 2:09 PM, tacoman25 said:

Is that not weather?

And when you include AK, not even close to 2/3 of the country torched. Alaska is pretty big.

The warm anomalies are so much more expansive and anomalous compared to the colder ones. 

[tacoman25]

On 12/29/2025 at 7:26 PM, SnoSki14 said:

The warm anomalies are so much more expansive and anomalous compared to the colder ones. 

Not when you include AK and Canada, which you can't with that map.

[TheClimateChanger]

 

[TheClimateChanger]

On 12/31/2025 at 2:49 PM, tacoman25 said:

Not when you include AK and Canada, which you can't with that map.

The post was referring to CONUS temperatures. While Alaska is part of the US, Canada is a separate country and has not, in fact, been annexed as of 1/2/2026. If we are going to include other countries, might as well tack on Mexico, which has been scorching. Or just do the entire Northern Hemisphere, which has been consistently running more than 1C above the 1981-2010 mean. 

http://www.karstenhaustein.com/reanalysis/gfs0p5/ANOM2m_mollw/ANOM2m_f144_mollw.png

 

[tacoman25]

15 hours ago, TheClimateChanger said:

The post was referring to CONUS temperatures. While Alaska is part of the US, Canada is a separate country and has not, in fact, been annexed as of 1/2/2026. If we are going to include other countries, might as well tack on Mexico, which has been scorching. Or just do the entire Northern Hemisphere, which has been consistently running more than 1C above the 1981-2010 mean. 

http://www.karstenhaustein.com/reanalysis/gfs0p5/ANOM2m_mollw/ANOM2m_f144_mollw.png

 

No, the original discussion that I have been a part of was also about Canada and AK. See the posts he was responding to. Context.

[chubbs]

A Finnish start-up has introduced the first commercial solid-state battery: light-weight, durable, fast charging, and inexpensive. If product claims pan out, EV performance, which is already matching combustion vehicles, will improve dramatically.

https://insideevs.com/news/783380/first-production-ready-all-solid-state-battery-official-specs/

 

[bluewave]

On 1/3/2026 at 1:22 AM, tacoman25 said:

No, the original discussion that I have been a part of was also about Canada and AK. See the posts he was responding to. Context.

This is probably the first time that Western North America experienced such an extreme temperature difference during the month of December.

https://bsky.app/profile/climatologist49.bsky.social/post/3mbnq36jn6c2y

 

 

Climatologist49

 

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December 2025 temperature departure from normal for the U.S. and Canada.

 

12:41 AM · Jan 5, 2026

Everybody can

 

[WolfStock1]

3 hours ago, chubbs said:

... EV performance, which is already matching combustion vehicles... 

 

 

Not yet.

Sorry - could not let that slide.

"Performance" is a multifaceted thing, including speed, driving distance, fueling convenience, costs, build quality, etc. etc.   If the performance of the average EV and the average combustion vehicle in the US (what most of us care about) matched, their sales would be roughly equal, but they very much aren't; even before the recent subsidy removal.

[chubbs]

1 hour ago, WolfStock1 said:

 

Not yet.

Sorry - could not let that slide.

"Performance" is a multifaceted thing, including speed, driving distance, fueling convenience, costs, build quality, etc. etc.   If the performance of the average EV and the average combustion vehicle in the US (what most of us care about) matched, their sales would be roughly equal, but they very much aren't; even before the recent subsidy removal.

Yes I know what performance is. All the things you mention and more will improve significantly with solid state batteries. The US market doesn't tell you much about EV performance because the best EVs come from China, not the US, and those vehicles are excluded from the US market. However this new announcement may allow other countries to catch-up or even leapfrog China. We will see.

[tacoman25]

5 hours ago, bluewave said:

This is probably the first time that Western North America experienced such an extreme temperature difference during the month of December.

https://bsky.app/profile/climatologist49.bsky.social/post/3mbnq36jn6c2y

 

 

Climatologist49

 

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December 2025 temperature departure from normal for the U.S. and Canada.

 

12:41 AM · Jan 5, 2026

Everybody can

 

Yeah, that really captures it. The extreme cold was greater than the extreme warmth, as far as anomalies go.

[forkyfork]

denier board

[Brewbeer]

The average new EV sold in the USA today in 20% more expensive than the average new petroleum powered vehicle.  EVs in the US are still mostly sold to the higher end / luxury market, the number of vehicle models available at the lower end of the market is extremely limited (but increasing). 

And I agree that in the higher end and luxury class vehicles, EVs equal or exceed petroleum powered vehicles in all aspects but one, and that is refueling convenience, which is arguable, since arguably it is more convenient to refuel your vehicle overnight in your garage or driveway than it is to dedicate a trip to a petroleum dispensing facility.

As soon as Honda or Toyota makes an Accord or Camry EV that is on par in price and weight to the petroleum versions, I'll be going for a test drive.  Battery tech is advancing rapidly and it won't be much longer before EVs have a much greater presence in the USA.

[forkyfork]

2 minutes ago, Brewbeer said:

The average new EV sold in the USA today in 20% more expensive than the average new petroleum powered vehicle.  EVs in the US are still mostly sold to the higher end / luxury market, the number of vehicle models available at the lower end of the market is extremely limited (but increasing). 

And I agree that in the higher end and luxury class vehicles, EVs equal or exceed petroleum powered vehicles in all aspects but one, and that is refueling convenience, which is arguable, since arguably it is more convenient to refuel your vehicle overnight in your garage or driveway than it is to dedicate a trip to a petroleum dispensing facility.

As soon as Honda or Toyota makes an Accord or Camry EV that is on par in price and weight to the petroleum versions, I'll be going for a test drive.  Battery tech is advancing rapidly and it won't be much longer before EVs have a much greater presence in the USA.

 

 

 

lol

[A-L-E-K]

6 minutes ago, forkyfork said:

lol

[tacoman25]

47 minutes ago, forkyfork said:

denier board

Lame cop out. Who here has "denied" climate change is happening?

Some of you think that if people aren't freaking out and claiming the world is ending due to climate change, they're deniers. It's not that binary, that's not reality.

"Oh no, someone pointed out that it's not record heat everywhere, all the time - they are a clearly a DENIER! Burn them at the stake."

[Brewbeer]

@A-L-E-K @forkyfork  Antique Honda currently at 329,827 and running great.  Taking it to Boston Friday to help son move furniture into his new apartment, 200+ mile round trip. 

 

 

[WolfStock1]

5 hours ago, tacoman25 said:

Lame cop out. Who here has "denied" climate change is happening?

Some of you think that if people aren't freaking out and claiming the world is ending due to climate change, they're deniers. It's not that binary, that's not reality.

"Oh no, someone pointed out that it's not record heat everywhere, all the time - they are a clearly a DENIER! Burn them at the stake."

 

This.

I don't think the "sky is falling" people realize just how foolish they look when anyone who doesn't toe the sky-is-falling line must be a denier; and as a result how counter-productive it is to their cause.

[bluewave]

18 hours ago, tacoman25 said:

Yeah, that really captures it. The extreme cold was greater than the extreme warmth, as far as anomalies go.

That may not have been the case since the anomalies were based on 1991-2020 means which were the warmest on record. Notice the warm departures in the Southwest were sufficient for many sites to record their warmest December on record. Those warm departures were only lower due to the much warmer 1991-2020 normals. The cold departures to the north would also be smaller based of the previous colder 30 year means.

 

Climatologist49

 

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 December 2025 temperature ranking (since 1895). A lot of the West had their warmest December on record and nearly everywhere out west had a top 5 warmest December.

 

10:26 PM · Jan 1, 2026

Everybody can reply

[tacoman25]

4 hours ago, bluewave said:

That may not have been the case since the anomalies were based on 1991-2020 means which were the warmest on record. Notice the warm departures in the Southwest were sufficient for many sites to record their warmest December on record. Those warm departures were only lower due to the much warmer 1991-2020 normals. The cold departures to the north would also be smaller based of the previous colder 30 year means.

 

Climatologist49

 

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 December 2025 temperature ranking (since 1895). A lot of the West had their warmest December on record and nearly everywhere out west had a top 5 warmest December.

 

10:26 PM · Jan 1, 2026

Everybody can reply

Sure, but a 30 year period is standard for anomalies. So my statement stands. And it's also only fair to acknowledge how much larger that area of extreme cold anomalies in NW Canada/AK was.

Canada saw their coldest December temp in 50 years last month: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/canadas-coldest-temperature-in-50-years

That's a whole country. It was objectively an impressive and extremely cold period up north, no reason to downplay this.

[Brewbeer]

Quote

I don't think the "sky is falling" people realize just how foolish they look when anyone who doesn't toe the sky-is-falling line must be a denier; and as a result how counter-productive it is to their cause.

The "sky is falling" people want you to have a word with the "sea level is rising" people, below. 

 

[bluewave]

18 hours ago, tacoman25 said:

Sure, but a 30 year period is standard for anomalies. So my statement stands. And it's also only fair to acknowledge how much larger that area of extreme cold anomalies in NW Canada/AK was.

Canada saw their coldest December temp in 50 years last month: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/canadas-coldest-temperature-in-50-years

That's a whole country. It was objectively an impressive and extremely cold period up north, no reason to downplay this.

While numerous locations in the U.S. experienced their warmest December on record, spots like Fairbanks had their 8th coldest December. So the magnitudes of the warmth was greater in the the West. But Juneau was able to record their 2nd coldest December which was very impressive. Parts of Canada had their coldest December since 1980 but the coldest winters on record occurred in the colder era before then. But the warmth in recent winters in Canada was of a higher magnitude than the cold this month was.

 

 

Climatologist49

 

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Fairbanks, AK, finishes December 2025 with a monthly temperature departure of 18.2F below normal. The average high temp was -14.5F and the average low temp was -31.1F. This makes it the 8th coldest December on record (1904-present) and the coldest since 1980. @alaskawx.bsky.social

9:02 PM · Dec 31, 2025

 

 

[chubbs]

42 minutes ago, bluewave said:

While numerous locations in the U.S. experienced their warmest December on record, spots like Fairbanks had their 8th coldest December. So the magnitudes of the warmth was greater in the the West. But Juneau was able to record their 2nd coldest December which was very impressive. Parts of Canada had their coldest December since 1980 but the coldest winters on record occurred in the colder era before then. But the warmth in recent winters in Canada was of a higher magnitude than the cold this month was.

 

 

Climatologist49

 

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Fairbanks, AK, finishes December 2025 with a monthly temperature departure of 18.2F below normal. The average high temp was -14.5F and the average low temp was -31.1F. This makes it the 8th coldest December on record (1904-present) and the coldest since 1980. @alaskawx.bsky.social

9:02 PM · Dec 31, 2025

 

 

Yes impressive cold in Alaska and Yukon. Cool here in Philly also. Our coolest December since 2010. 

[Typhoon Tip]

2 hours ago, chubbs said:

Yes impressive cold in Alaska and Yukon. Cool here in Philly also. Our coolest December since 2010. 

So enabling for deniers... 

... particularly, deniers all carry one particular almost necessary trait in order to be denying, and that's the inability ( perhaps a psychological limitation/aptitude - ) to simultaneously be aware of what they are looking at, with respect to keeping the big picture in mind.  Their processing disconnects those two, and of course when limited by that state of awareness...that defaults their reason preferentially to just what is perceivable via their personal senses - in the construction/impression of reality. 

This is a long winded to way of describing the 'pin-head' nimrod with head up fucking asshole.  

In this case above, the cold over N/A is just perfect to jam head deep up myopic butt holes, and claim that is the reality.  

I think it is uneven evolution. I think there is a gene, a very necessary one ... for contemplation and objective reasoning that includes a broader dimension that what is merely available via the biologic sight and sound.   If people don't have this, they are prone to denial - in anything. 

The rest is just immoral douchery...

( the preceding is tongue-in-cheek cynicism that somehow smacks as having some real value  )

[WolfStock1]

20 hours ago, Brewbeer said:

The "sky is falling" people want you to have a word with the "sea level is rising" people, below. 

 

 

Funny thing about Miami flooding - it's not a new thing:

https://www.biscaynetimes.com/viewpoint/flooding-has-been-a-miami-constant-from-time-immemorial/

Here's another thing - Miami/Dade population:

2000: 2.259M

2010:  2.507M

2020: 2.696M

2024: 2.838M 

Funny how people seem to want to move *to* this area that supposedly has all these flood problems.   They apparently haven't gotten the news about the sky falling.

(BTW - I used to live in the area, and visit Florida regularly - I know what it's like.   The sky is not falling.)

I wouldn't propose that flooding won't be more frequent there - it will.   I'm just saying it's not some kind of life-threatening - or even lifestyle-threatening - thing.  It just means that over time (we're talking centuries here, not years or even decades) new things need to be built on slightly higher ground and/or with more sea walls in low-lying historic areas.   It's not that hard.   Dealing with it will certainly be a lot less disruptive than the sudden worldwide loss of fossil fuels required to prevent it.

 

 

[tacoman25]

7 hours ago, bluewave said:

While numerous locations in the U.S. experienced their warmest December on record, spots like Fairbanks had their 8th coldest December. So the magnitudes of the warmth was greater in the the West. But Juneau was able to record their 2nd coldest December which was very impressive. Parts of Canada had their coldest December since 1980 but the coldest winters on record occurred in the colder era before then. But the warmth in recent winters in Canada was of a higher magnitude than the cold this month was.

 

 

Climatologist49

 

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Fairbanks, AK, finishes December 2025 with a monthly temperature departure of 18.2F below normal. The average high temp was -14.5F and the average low temp was -31.1F. This makes it the 8th coldest December on record (1904-present) and the coldest since 1980. @alaskawx.bsky.social

9:02 PM · Dec 31, 2025

 

 

Yes, and as I pointed out, it wasn't just comparing the magnitude of the extremes on both sides, it was the geographic extent as well. Most of Canada, a huge country, was well below normal last month.

[tacoman25]

14 minutes ago, WolfStock1 said:

 

Funny thing about Miami flooding - here's a shocker - it's not a new thing:

https://www.biscaynetimes.com/viewpoint/flooding-has-been-a-miami-constant-from-time-immemorial/

Here's another shocker - Miami/Dade population:

2000: 2.259M

2010:  2.507M

2020: 2.696M

2024: 2.838M 

Funny how people seem to want to move *to* this area that supposedly has all these flood problems.   They apparently haven't gotten the news about the sky falling.

(BTW - I used to live in the area, and visit Florida regularly - I know what it's like.   The sky is not falling.)

 

Yeah, those trying to use flooding pics in Miami as an example of sea level rise and climate change are being completely dishonest and/or patently doomers.

And yes, if some in this thread want to label us "deniers", I'm going to label them doomers. Fair is fair.