I've been watching this discussion...

[Chuck Vaughn]

LOL! Good one! Anyone but me happen to notice this article is from 1974?

Lesson: Don't get your science from the mainstream media. ;-)

There's actually a fairly straightforward explanation here. From 1940 through 1970 the Pacific Decadal Oscillation was in a cool phase which largely explains the cold temps. In 1970 it reversed to its warm phase until 2000. Now it has reversed again to the cool phase. Of course there is some lag time. We're now beginning to see the cooler effects of the PDO on our weather. If history is any indication, this will likely go on for another 20 years.

The warm phase of the PDO is associated with more frequent and strong El Niño events and fewer and weaker La Niña events. The opposite is true for the cool phase of the PDO. We're currently in a significant La Niña.

The Pineapple Express storms we experienced here on the west coast during the El Niños of the 80's and 90's have essentially disappeared since the big El Niño of 1998. Since about 2005 we've been experiencing more low snow events than I can remember.

It'll take awhile for the media to change, but if colder winters become the norm due to the cool PDO, then CAGW will be dealt the death blow it deserves.

Chuck

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> http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,944914,00.html
> 

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