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Birmingham temperatures for 2014:

 

Temperature

The hottest day of 2014  was August 7, with a high temperature of 98°F. For reference, on that day the average high temperature is 90°F and the high temperature exceeds 95°F only one day in ten. The hottest month of 2014 was August with an average daily high temperature of 91°F.

Relative to the average, the hottest day was December 4. The high temperature that day was 75°F, compared to the average of 59°F, a difference of 16°F. In relative terms the warmest month was October, with an average high temperature of 77°F, compared to an typical value of 74°F.

The longest warm spell was from February 16 to February 25, constituting 10 consecutive days with warmer than average high temperatures. The month of September had the largest fraction of warmer than average days with 77% days with higher than average high temperatures.

Temperature

The daily low (blue) and high (red) temperature during 2014 with the area between them shaded gray and superimposed over the corresponding averages (thick lines), and with percentile bands (inner band from 25th to 75th percentile, outer band from 10th to 90th percentile). The bar at the top of the graph is red where both the daily high and low are above average, blue where they are both below average, and white otherwise.

Birmingham temps 1951:

 

Temperature

The hottest day of 1951  was August 31, with a high temperature of 100°F. For reference, on that day the average high temperature is 88°F and the high temperature exceeds 94°F only one day in ten. The hottest month of 1951 was August with an average daily high temperature of 93°F.

Relative to the average, the hottest day was December 31. The high temperature that day was 78°F, compared to the average of 53°F, a difference of 25°F. In relative terms the warmest month was December, with an average high temperature of 60°F, compared to an typical value of 56°F.

The longest warm spell was from February 12 to March 4, constituting 21 consecutive days with warmer than average high temperatures. The month of August had the largest fraction of warmer than average days with 94% days with higher than average high temperatures.

Temperature

The daily low (blue) and high (red) temperature during 1951 with the area between them shaded gray and superimposed over the corresponding averages (thick lines), and with percentile bands (inner band from 25th to 75th percentile, outer band from 10th to 90th percentile). The bar at the top of the graph is red where both the daily high and low are above average, blue where they are both below average, and white otherwise

Birmingham temps in 1948:

Still looks almost identical as 2014. How do you explain these temps as compared to your memory, Jim? 

Temperature

The hottest day of 1948  was July 5, with a high temperature of 100°F. For reference, on that day the average high temperature is 89°F and the high temperature exceeds 95°F only one day in ten. The hottest month of 1948 was July with an average daily high temperature of 91°F.

Relative to the average, the hottest day was March 20. The high temperature that day was 85°F, compared to the average of 68°F, a difference of 17°F. In relative terms the warmest month was June, with an average high temperature of 90°F, compared to an typical value of 87°F.

The longest warm spell was from April 16 to April 29, constituting 14 consecutive days with warmer than average high temperatures. The month of June had the largest fraction of warmer than average days with 77% days with higher than average high temperatures.

Temperature

The daily low (blue) and high (red) temperature during 1948 with the area between them shaded gray and superimposed over the corresponding averages (thick lines), and with percentile bands (inner band from 25th to 75th percentile, outer band from 10th to 90th percentile). The bar at the top of the graph is red where both the daily high and low are above average, blue where they are both below average, and white otherwise.

The coldest day of 1948 was January 18, with a low temperature of 9°F. For reference, on that day the average low temperature is 33°F and the low temperature drops below 20°F only one day in ten. The coldest month of 1948 was January with an average daily low temperature of 27°F.

Relative to the average, the coldest day was January 18. The low temperature that day was 9°F, compared to the average of 33°F, a difference of 24°F. In relative terms the coldest month was January, with an average low temperature of 27°F, compared to an typical value of 34°F.

The longest cold spell was from May 14 to May 28, constituting 15 consecutive days with cooler than average low temperatures. The month of January had the largest fraction of cooler than average days with 77% days with lower than average low temperatures.

Birmingham 1962:

 

This should be around the year of your youth.  Still not seeing the cooler temps Jim.

 

Temperature

The hottest day of 1962  was July 23, with a high temperature of 100°F. For reference, on that day the average high temperature is 90°F and the high temperature exceeds 96°F only one day in ten. The hottest month of 1962 was July with an average daily high temperature of 93°F.

Relative to the average, the hottest day was February 13. The high temperature that day was 82°F, compared to the average of 57°F, a difference of 25°F. In relative terms the warmest month was May, with an average high temperature of 91°F, compared to an typical value of 81°F.

The longest warm spell was from May 3 to May 31, constituting 29 consecutive days with warmer than average high temperatures. The month of May had the largest fraction of warmer than average days with 94% days with higher than average high temperatures.

Temperature

The daily low (blue) and high (red) temperature during 1962 with the area between them shaded gray and superimposed over the corresponding averages (thick lines), and with percentile bands (inner band from 25th to 75th percentile, outer band from 10th to 90th percentile). The bar at the top of the graph is red where both the daily high and low are above average, blue where they are both below average, and white otherwise.

The whole issue of global warming, cooling, or just staying the same is predicated on the reports of weather station data and satellite data. One problem with the weather station data is that it over samples west and central Europe and the U.S. while largely under sampling the southern hemisphere, central and northern Asia, the Arctic circle, and the oceans especially in non-sea lane areas. That is hardly "global".

 

Also there has been a declining number of weather station making it into the world data. More often than not those stations have been in rural areas while many of the stations that remained in the data were in formerly rural areas that had urbanized.

 

The problem with the satellite data is that while it gives better global data, it has only been happening for a little over 35 years.

I think there probably is some credence to changing weather patterns, as when I fly I see layers of slightly smoky air above our area, as well as just about every large metropolitan area. But a lot of what we deem "change" is all in perception. JT thinks it was cooler in previous decades.  I also believe that we are having additional problems.  For instance, gravity has gotten stronger.  It is evident since I weigh more than I did two decades ago.  My pants are tighter, and my joints creak more when I get up in the morning. Caffeine is much stronger now than when I was a kid. I used to drink three Mountain Dews and sleep for 10 hours.  Now if I have a glass of tea before bed, it keeps me up all night.

For myself, I have chosen to worry about the things I can do something about. I don't think we need some carbon police to issue carbon credits and take more money out of my pocket in an effort to redistribute wealth when the carbon footprints of everyone in the US is less than some Chinese factories.

Still waiting on JT to explain how things were so much cooler back in the day when the temp charts show otherwise........

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I never so much cooler all the time. Do you remember Second creek, between Elgin and Rogersville freezing almost all over? Do you remember a lot of the river being frozen upstream of Wilson Dam?

I looked at the NOAA web site. Most of what was on it I didn't understand, I did find one chart that took  Huntsville weather from 1971 to 2000 and compared it to 1981 to 2000. It showed the normal highs were +1.8 degrees, normal lows were +1.3 degrees, average temps were +1.5 degrees. the heating degree days were -260, the cooling degree days were +280.  That shows a slight warming trend.

Yep, JT, it's all how you look at it. Things are going to change. While your data does show some degree of warming, at the same time there were more "cooling days than warming days". In the context of a planet that is several million years old, data collected over a period of a few decades does not make a very valid argument. Although there is room to be concerned, there is not much that can be done about it. Let's face it, every generation thinks they will be the last to inhabit the planet. We might well be, but at the same time, there were many before us who thought the same thing.

human nature hates change.  Although there are a few rare exceptions who embrace it, we tend to face change with a pessimistic attitude.

 

Jt gets something in his head and no amount of proof otherwise will change his mind. I talked to a customer that is in her 70s, she said what she remembers most is Halloween, and wondering year to year what the weather would be, if it would be warm, or so cold she'd have to wear something over her costume. It's still the same today, it may be warm and nice, or very cold. October, and the weather can be warm or cold on any given day. Same with November and December. Funny how global warming seems to come and go, even day to day.

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