Well, maybe not the end of the world, but..it is a nasty ‘Nor’easter’. This is a particularly savage type of winter storm that we get here in New England. It starts with an area of low pressure moving up the coast from the Carolinas up towards the Maritime Provinces of Canada. As the centre of the storm passes just off the coast, the circulation picks up moist air from the (relatively) warm Atlantic, which is dumped at fairly impressive rates over the New England states. Snow at the rate of 2 to 3 inches per hour is not uncommon. Nor’easters are one of the reasons why the Boston area averages around 50 inches of snow per year.
If I remember correctly, the next 8 hours saw around another 18 inches of snow in our part of Massachusetts (on top of that already on the ground). It became a VERY trying commute, and our Hospital dealt with a lot of extra work through the ED. Possibly the only ones clapping their hands with glee were the owners of various ski resorts, just to the north of Boston; and, of course, the legions of skiers and snowboarders who flocked to them. The photograph shows one of our hardworking town snowploughs (and its crew) in action.
Why did I write about snow? To prompt us all to remember that climate 'change' can mean just that, more - and increasingly - violent weather, even when it's the Northern Hemisphere's turn to be tilted away from good old Sol. That moisture-laden air is still going to be creating havoc. Right now, I'm unsure what is worse - record summer heatwaves in Boston, or the return of the Nor'easters bringing 2 or 3 inches of snow an hour?!
Whichever it is...somebody messed up this planet, for sure!
http://peoplesmosquito.org.uk