Looks like climate change is really doing a job on the California wine industry. And, by climate change, I mean that the penguins, seals, and polar bears at the zoos and aquariums in California are loving life (via Tom Nelson)
2010 could be the most challenging vintage of the last 50 years here in Northern California Wine Country.
The grapes and grape growers are struggling. This is the coldest summer in memory. We’ve had late bloom and cold stretches before but nothing as sustainably cold as this.
It’s cold here for August and it was cold here for June and July. Friends of mine here on the Extreme Sonoma Coast have actually turned on their heat the last couple of weeks. The Wall Street Journal published an article on August 7th saying it’s the coldest summer along the West Coast in decades.
They are expecting the grape harvest to be 2-3 weeks late, the rain could cause rot and mold, and the grapes are teeny, green, and hard as stones. But, hey, we all know this cold snap is A) just nature being nature, B) weather, so, means nothing to AGW, C) man’s release of gasses that trap heat and cause the Earth’s temperature to increase causing cold weather.
Oh, look, early snow in Russia. Must be caused by the AGW induced wildfires or something.
Do you think that this is some sign of the oft promised “global cooling” ?? I don’t I think that this will be one of the warmest years on record for our planet. Regardless of ANY exceptional local weather.
I actually agree with ‘lil johnnie on this one. this year will NOT be one of the warmest the Earth has ever seen- because there have been a great many wamer years, the most recent to be found during the MWP, the RWP, The Minoan WP….
Don’t forget the 1930’s…… That was massively warm the world over. Droughts and dustbowls in plains and Australia, to name two.
Hey Teach, check out WUWT, the storm Danielle has gone from Tropical Storm, to Cat 1, to Cat 2, and then straight back to Tropical Storm within 24 hours.
Now, there is a possibility of it growing again, but… very interesting. I’m more interested in the storms behind Danielle. But, thoughts are that this year will be another really boring hurricane year. 5th since 2005.
So much for massive increase in hurricanes after 2005……
As far as global cooling goes, yeah, I do have to agree with John, too. We’ll have to see what the climate does for the next 10 years or so. It seems to have stabilized at a higher temp, with a slow draw down, but, hey, we could still see more warming similar to the Global Climate Optimum.
So, the answer would be “I don’t know.” We’ll see.
Yeah, Danielle was kinda strange, but, being so far out in the middle of the ocean, hard to get that really warm water. When I saw that, I had to wonder what would happen if a system went over the mid ocean ridge, where the volcanoes really warm the water up.
Check this out…
Check out the big blob of cold water from Spain moving SW toward equator. And, the only place where there is really warm water is AT the coast of Africa. As you move West, storms move in to cooler waters (comparatively).
Notice the blue dot in the smack middle of the Atlantic as well. Isn’t that where the TS Danielle just died?
Now, if a storm were to move on a southerly line and head in toward the Caribbeans.. there looks to be some real warm water there.
Also check out the large mass of cold water in the Pacific Equatorial zone = El Nina.
“This vintage comes highly recommended, sir.”
(SPIT)
“As what, vinegar?”
Long John Silver’s best.
Doesn’t Pelosi own a CA vineyard?
The bitch will probably pass some special legislation for CA wine growers if the crop is really bad, don’t ya know.