Mild weather to continue
Since June, every month except November has seen warmer than normal temperatures across Southwestern Pennsylvania. December averaged 4.7 degrees above average; and, so far, January has been on the mild side and it looks like the mild days will continue at least over the weekend and into the middle of the coming week.
Some Artic air did visit us in November, bringing a period of snow and cold; however, the really cold air remains locked up in Alaska and northern Canada. Fairbanks, Alaska has had several weeks of below zero temperatures and just a few days ago -30 degrees was recorded.
Average temperatures in the Uniontown area at this time are 38 degrees for the high and 21 for the morning low respectively. This weekend should see temperatures in the 60s. Cooler weather will return later next week, but at this point, we do not see a visit from the Polar Vortex in the immediate future.
At the other end of the world, the unusual warm weather is taking its toll in the form of unprecedented drought and heat. Australia has been devastated by fires that have burned an area the size of the entire state of West Virginia, killing scores of people and many millions of animals.
In an article in the Wall Street Journal on Monday, the fires burn so hot they create their own thunderstorms with lightning but little if any rain. The paper reports that conditions are similar to a volcanic eruption or atomic bomb. But instead fire rains down from the formation of pyro-cumulonimbus clouds created by intense heat driving air rapidly upward in the smoke plume from a wildfire, drawing in moisture and resulting in thunderstorms. You may have also seen the fire tornadoes on television or the Internet. These are a result of the intense heat and rising air. These raging fires are as bad as the California fires and are a sign of some of the future problems being caused by the climate emergency. Australia has just experienced their worst heat ever recorded and the season is just beginning.
Fires, floods, storms and rising seas are a great concern around the world and the costs of dealing with future events is becoming part of the discussion taking place in both the corporate and government worlds. This past Monday, an article in our own 蘑菇视频 discussed the $4.2 billion climate bond being proposed in California to deal with the cleanup from fires and to bolster the state蘑菇视频 water sources and help coastal communities plan for sea-level rises.
Another problem for many homeowners is the availability of homeowners insurance. Many companies are refusing to renew or write new policies in these devastated areas and have paid billions in claims already. This is impacting the real estate market since lenders require policies as part of the sale. In California, a limited policy is available from the state for between $4,000 and $6,000 and full coverage like you have on your policy in Pennsylvania is over $6,000 dollars per year.
While we are fortunate not to have to deal with some of these problems here in Southwestern Pennsylvania, we do see increased flooding and storms that will play into our future. Let蘑菇视频 continue the discussion and think about ways to mitigate our own hazards and enjoy the mild weather.