Once again, the below-normal weather pattern that has persisted for about 2 years was present in southeastern Michigan during October. Overall, the month was 3.0°F below normal; the first half of the month was well-below normal while the second half was above normal.
I use the trees in my yard as a barometer of the annual weather. Normally, leaves remain on the trees until the second week of November, but this year they were bare from 7-10 days earlier than normal. Naturally, there are many factors that could affect the annual fall of leaves, but there is no doubt that dormancy came earlier due to a shorter growing season.For 2009 year-to-date, the temperature in our area as measured by data from www.weather.com has been 2.8°F below long term averages. I can't say that has been all bad or good. Our inordinately cool summer certainly reduced many of the normal activities for people who are generally house-bound for 5 months each year, but it did reduce air-conditioning requirements. Our cooler-than-normal autumn has made the annual yard clean-up less pleasant than usual and portends a protracted period of semi-hibernation for humans.
Still, we are being vigilant for the return of global warming. It is hard to say how many of us have refrained from using our furnaces in order to prevent CO2 increases. I suspect that many elderly people are willing to experience hypothermia rather than risk the future of their grandchildren.It is safe to say that President Obama's efforts to convert this nation to wind and solar energy have already shown results in reducing temperatures in Michigan over the past two years. Still we are all anxious to further reduce warming by contributing our earnings toward the Cap Tax.