It's no secret that, in the U.S., we have not had a "real winter" this winter. It has been springy and pleasant most days. And while I and many other people enjoy this mild spell tremendously, we all wonder what's going on. The easy answer is global warming or more correctly, global climate change. At the other extreme, Europe has experienced a harsh winter, with colder temps than usual and too much snow. The worst part of global climate change is that the weather extremes are far more violent and frequent than they used to be. There are too many disastrous floods, tornadoes, blizzards, etc., etc. These 100-year-events seem to take place every year now. It's very concerning, but what can be done? If this is man-made, and I believe it is, then swift action should have been taken years ago. It may be too late to turn things around now.
In my neck of the woods, Virginia, flowers are blooming much earlier than I've ever seen them. A type of early-booming magnolia bloomed on March 26 in 2008.
This year it bloomed on March 3, a full 23 days earlier than usual.
Have you noticed similar things where you live? Sometimes it's downright scary, but for now, I am enjoying the warm weather (72 deg. F today).
