Climate Change
More on Lake Erie Temperature Trends & Gardening in the Great Lakes
Posted by: ClimateChange, 5:41 PM GMT on August 04, 2012 +3
Thursday, I posted about observed water temperature increases at the Buffalo Water Treatment Plant site. To remove the seasonality from the data (and better discern trends), I converted all of the data since 1960 to an annual departure relative to the 1960-2012 period. So far, 2012 has averaged 2.8C above the mean for the 1960-2012 period. The current warmest year on record is 1998 at +1.8C above the mean. The annual water temperature has been increasing at 0.29C per decade since 1960.


Perhaps more stunning is the decrease in number of days with a water temperature of 32F during that period. These readings are taken 35' below the surface, so when the surface is covered or substantially covered in ice, the water temperature is usually 32. The chart shows that the annual number of 32F readings has been decreasing at a rate of over 1 day per year! In recent years, the rate of change appears to be increasing. Both 2012 and 1998 had 0 such days, while 2002 had just one. By contrast, 1964 had 139 days, and 1971 138 days.



These graphics show an umistakable warming of the Lake Erie climate system. As the region continues to experience warming, winter ice coverage will continue its marked decline. The decrease in ice cover will itself greatly affect the climate of surrounding areas. This will be accomplished by two means: (1) the warmer, open waters will better modify arctic airmasses moving southeast from Canada; and (2) the warmer, open waters will contribute to increased cloudiness & precipitation, which will make conditions less favorable for extreme cold.

This effect is already apparent in data from observation sites downwind of the Great Lakes. I took a look at the coldest minimum annual temperature at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in northeast Ohio. As a native of the area, this should be a good site to conduct this analysis, as it is a small airport with minimal traffic and little, if any, contamination from surrounding land use over the period being considered.

In the 1960s, the average minimum temperature was -8.0F; in the 1970s, -8.6F; in the 1980s, -11.3F; in the 1990s, -3.2F; in the 2000s, -2.3F; and in the 2010s, +0.0F. As you can see, the trend is definitely up, with fewer days of extreme cold. The USDA plant hardiness zone maps illustrate this to some extent, but they are already obsolete. According to the most recent update, released just last year and based on data compiled from 1976-2005, this area is in zone 6a, with an average minimum temperature between -5 and -10F. In the last 15 years, however, the actual average minimum temperature is just -1.2F, well within zone 6b (almost nearing the threshold of 0F for zone 7!). In fact, in the 2010s, the average minimum temperature is just 0.0F. This is based on just three years; nonetheless, it does include data from two (allegedly) "bitter" cold winters (2009-10 & 2010-11). In fact, those winters were not particularly cold and would have been milder than most winters in the 60s, 70s, & 80s.



Closer to the lake and in more urbanized areas, zone 7 temperatures are already evident. Since 1998, the average minimum temperature at Cleveland Hopkins International has actually been above 0F. The official USDA plant hardiness map classifies no part of Ohio as zone 7, but more recent data shows this to be false. For gardeners, this means you can probably begin experimenting with different plants that traditionally would not grow in northern Ohio and surrounding areas. If current trends continue, much of northeast Ohio, will likely be zone 7 by the 2020s. Should warming continue to increase in rate, as projected, and ice coverage continue to decline over the Great Lakes basin, the effects may be even more substantial. By mid to late century, I wouldn't be surprised to see zones 8 or even 9+ begin to appear.

You seldom hear much about the actual effects of global warming and how global warming will manifest itself. This is how! On a high emissions path, the Great Lakes region is on a collision course with a subtropical or even tropical climate. Models project up to 6C of globally-averaged warming within the next century under a high emissions path, which would likely result in 9 or 10C of warming at mid-latitude landmasses, such as the Great Lakes region.
Updated: 6:32 PM GMT on August 19, 2012   Permalink | A A A
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Climate Comparisons: Then and Now
Posted by: ClimateChange, 3:25 PM GMT on August 02, 2012 +1
Last month, I posted some data comparing the temperatures in some northern cities to the 1961-1990 normals for cities much farther south. This is another way to visualize the impact of the record-breaking U.S. heat wave of 2012. Here is an update for the period January 1 through July 31. All of the normals are based on the mean value for the period January 1 through July 31, as compiled by NCDC for the period 1961-1990. All data given below are the official values t...
Updated: 3:26 PM GMT on August 02, 2012   Permalink | A A A
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Lake Erie: Growing Hotter?
Posted by: ClimateChange, 2:36 AM GMT on August 02, 2012 +0
Water temperatures have been taken at the Cleveland Crib, the main intake supply for the Cleveland municipal water supply, continuously since 1900. The Crib lies about 3 miles north of the city over Lake Erie and water temperatures are taken at a depth of 35'. Prior to 2011, the highest reading on record was 79, set in 1988 & 1998. Last July saw readings as high as 82, although it is not reflected in this older data courtesy of NWS CLE.THE RECORD HIGH WATER TEMPERAT...
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U.S. Temperature Trend: 1979-2008
Posted by: ClimateChange, 1:10 AM GMT on August 02, 2012 +1
Below is a chart of the the annual departure from normal, relative to a 1981-2010 baseline, for the 1979-2008 period in the United States, based on data from four major temperature records. Also given is the trend from the four records, based on a simple linear regression. The computed trends for the 1979-2008 period vary from +2.5C/century to +3.3C/century.
Updated: 1:12 AM GMT on August 02, 2012   Permalink | A A A
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July 2012 v. July 2011: A Comparison for the Lower Lakes Region
Posted by: ClimateChange, 3:24 PM GMT on July 31, 2012 +2
July 2011 was a very hot month for much of the country, including the lower Great Lakes region. Many cities with long climate records experienced a top five hottest July in 2011. And the same can be said for this month. Below is a listing of the top three hottest Julys for several cities in the region. Note that both 2012 and 2011 are present in many of the lists. Other historically warm Julys which show up on a lot of the lists, include 1955 & 1921. The Dust Bowl e...
Updated: 12:58 AM GMT on August 02, 2012   Permalink | A A A
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