COMMENTARY | According to an article by the Associated Press, Japan has been hit with its worst snowfall in six years. More than 10 feet of snow has crippled the towns of Japan’s western coast, killing 52 people and injuring more than 600. In Nagano, the extreme snowfall caused a 310-foot steel bridge to collapse but fortunately, no one was injured. While Japan has more snow then they can handle, many parts of America have seen none. Will the elusive winter ever come to the United States?
While my state, West Virginia, usually sees cold, snow-ridden winters, this year we have yet to see a proper winter. It’s the beginning of February, the sun is still shining, and the heaters are off. This has been the case for most of the United States (especially the east coast), so many Americans are left wondering where winter is. Is this abnormally warm winter a product of global warming?
According to a New England meteorologist, David Epstein, this winter is perfectly normal.
Epstein reminds us that “normal weather is just the average of two extremes, and that there are years when we have seen virtually no snow in the first two months of winter, December and January, and then gotten hammered with snow during February and March.” Epstein attributes our atypical winter this year to the North American and Arctic Oscillation weather patterns. He says that “the current state of our atmosphere is just not conducive to cold and snow in this part of the world.”
It’s still early in the season to write off snow altogether. I can remember several winters that were mild in the beginning and ended in ice storms in early spring. It seems Japan is getting the forecast Mother Nature forgot to leave the U.S this year. My condolences to all of the Japanese families who have lost someone in the recent snow storms.
As for our mild winter here in the states, I’m enjoying it while it lasts.
Sources:
abcnews.com
boston.com