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In January, Earth experienced record high temperatures for the eighth consecutive month, according to the European climate agency. This was especially evident in the northern United States, where approximately 1,000 individuals were able to go golfing in a snowless Minneapolis during what is being referred to as “the Lost Winter of 2023-24” by the state.
According to the European Space Agency’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, the global temperature exceeded the agreed upon threshold for an entire year for the first time. From February 2023 to January 2024, the average temperature was 2.74 degrees Fahrenheit (1.52 degrees Celsius) warmer than pre-industrial levels, making it the highest recorded 12-month average temperature.
Since last June, the Earth has been setting new heat records every month.
In January 2024, the warmest first month of the year was recorded, breaking the previous record set in 2020 by 0.22 degrees Fahrenheit (0.12 degrees Celsius). This was also 3 degrees Fahrenheit (1.66 degrees Celsius) warmer than the late 1800s, which is used as the benchmark for pre-fossil fuel temperatures. Despite this record-breaking warmth, Copernicus data shows that the level above normal was lower than the previous six months.
According to climate scientists, the recent rise in global temperatures is a result of both human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and a temporary occurrence of El Nino warming in the Pacific. They emphasize that the impact of greenhouse gas emissions outweighs natural factors. Andrew Dessler, a climate scientist at Texas A&M University, states that this is typically the time when El Nino warming reaches its highest point.
Dessler commented, “This situation is both unsettling and not unsettling. If you choose to put your finger in a light socket and experience a shock, it may be unfortunate, but what was your anticipation?”
According to Natalie Mahowald, a climate scientist at Cornell University who co-authored a United Nations report, the fact that the globe has surpassed the 1.5-degree warming threshold for 12 months does not necessarily mean it has reached the 1.5-degree warming limit. The limit, which was set by the 2015 Paris climate agreement, is based on 30-year averages.
Kathie Dello, the State Climatologist of North Carolina, stated that these figures, positions, and achievements have a deeper significance as they represent the tangible effects on our agricultural lands, households, and localities due to extreme heat, shifting crop cycles, and increasing ocean levels.
The city of International Falls, located in Minnesota near the Canadian border, is famously known as the “icebox of the nation.” However, on January 31, it experienced an unusually warm day with a high of 53 degrees Fahrenheit (11.7 degrees Celsius), the first time it has reached 50 degrees in January. Meanwhile, Minneapolis has broken a record for the most 50-degree days in a winter season.
Roughly 70% of Minnesota currently has exposed ground, and the majority of the state has received less than 25% of its typical snowfall thus far.
Authorities saved many ice fishermen from the frozen lakes in northern Minnesota when large sheets of ice broke off and drifted away. The Art Shanty Projects festival, which takes place on Lake Harriet in Minneapolis every January, had to end early because the ice was not safe and there was open water.
The Montgomery National Golf Club, located approximately 45 miles (72 kilometers) south of Minneapolis, should typically be covered in snow during this season. However, it is currently experiencing a high level of activity.
“In January, we had around one thousand golfers. According to owner Greg McKush, even having just one golfer would have been a record. However, as of today, we will have reached about one thousand golfers for February, which is unprecedented.”
McKush stated that he reopened his business two Saturdays ago and is hopeful that he will be able to remain open throughout the winter season as long as temperatures remain above 40 degrees.
He stated that the fairways appear to be turning green and a significant amount of frost has melted from the ground. Many golfers are reporting that the conditions are exceeding their initial expectations.
The state of Wisconsin is ranked fourth in maple syrup production in the U.S. Due to the mild winter climate, farms in the northern and central regions of the state started tapping their trees in mid-January, which is earlier than usual by up to two months. This information was shared by Theresa Baroun, the executive director of the Wisconsin Maple Syrup Producers Association.
“There’s a wide range of the state that are tapped and cooking syrup already. It’s very unusual. This is one of the most abnormal weather patterns for starting out the maple season we’ve seen,” she said Wednesday. “For maple trees to run, it needs to be freezing at night, above freezing during the day. And this weather has been perfect for the maple trees to run.”
Baroun, who owns Maple Sweet Dairy in De Pere, Wisconsin, reported that their family’s farm, which has approximately 1,200 maple trees, started boiling sap this week. This is the earliest start to production that they can recall since the farm was established in 1964.
The annual sturgeon season in February on Black Lake in Michigan was cancelled for the first time because there was not enough ice for safe fishing.
The annual count of wolves and moose at Isle Royal National Park, located on an island in Lake Superior between Michigan, Minnesota, and Canada, was unable to be carried out by scientists due to the weak ice preventing ski-planes from landing.
One of the stranger consequences has been the early emergence of ticks. The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District in Minnesota reported its first deer tick of 2024 on Monday, posting a creepy photo on social media of a tick in a vial against the backdrop of Feb. 5 on a calendar. District officials said they haven’t found any mosquito larvae yet — but it’s not from a lack of searching.
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Karnowski provided updates from St. Paul, Minnesota while Borenstein reported from Kensington, Maryland. Ed White contributed from Detroit and Rick Callahan from Indianapolis.
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Read more of AP’s climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment
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Follow Seth Borenstein and Steve Karnowski on X at their handles @borenbears and @skarnowski.
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Source: independent.co.uk
