Tuesday
Nov042014
by 
Bishop Hill
Bishop Hill Snow longer a thing of the past
Nov 4, 2014 Climate: Surface Snow in Scotland was at one time said, somewhat notoriously, to be a thing of the past. What then to make of Helen Rennie, who has apparently skied in the Cairngorms in 61 consecutive months?
RT @theiaincameron: Today, Helen Rennie skied on last season's snow at Ciste Mhearad, Cairn Gorm. That's month 61. pic.twitter.com/t2YgzqGZSD
— MCofS (@MCofS) November 4, 2014
Reader Comments (38)
Picture will be marked as "last slab of snow in Himalaya" and used by the bbc for its iconic status
Bill Mckibben was on Newsnight yesterday evening. All his poppycock went unchallenged resulting in my usual complaint to the BBC.
Evan Davis must go ?
Hmmm...friends in Minnesota have sent pictures of snow they have bebeen getting over the last few weeks!
Reminds me that I need to get the gas cylenders refilled...Just in case!
Mailman
lol
Good to see Helen out on the piste.
Having said that, I've also seen a book cover of an intrepid individual skiing down an Alpine gully containing no snow or ice at all. Zero. And many of the rocks were not small ones. He was French, of course.
Has anyone actually said that snow would become a thing of the past in Scotland? I recall that a statement to that effect was made about England and that this has been attributed to Dr. David Viner but I was not aware of anyone saying it about Scotland. I think that there have been predictions about ski resorts having to close due to lack of snow however.
She must be a Climate Denier! Close your eyes, true-believing brethren, this is an evil manufactured picture created by the Koch brothers....
I hope Euan Mearns and A C Osborn don't mind me copy and pasting A C Osborne's comment from his blog...
http://euanmearns.com/blowout-week-44/
A C Osborn says:
November 2, 2014 at 1:33 pm
Euan, of course the Artic has recovered quite a bit since 2012 and still the winters are cold.
In fact you won’t see this in the MSM or on the Beeb.
http://iceagenow.info/2014/11/record-snow-south-carolina-capital/
http://iceagenow.info/2014/11/record-snowfall-chicago-happy-halloween/
http://iceagenow.info/2014/11/record-snowfall-chicago-happy-halloween/
http://iceagenow.info/2014/10/bulgaria-disaster-continues-gabrovo/
http://iceagenow.info/2014/10/early-snow-deprives-novosibirsk-region-large-grain-harvest/
http://iceagenow.info/2014/10/3rd-highest-hemisphere-snow-cover-1966/
http://iceagenow.info/2014/10/worldwide-snowfall-normal/
http://iceagenow.info/2014/10/bulgaria-heavy-snow-leaves-17-small-settlements-power/
http://iceagenow.info/2014/10/snow-cover-standard-deviation/
http://iceagenow.info/2014/10/turkey-230-sheep-fall-cliff-due-snow-fog-100-sheep-lost/
http://iceagenow.info/2014/10/greece-sheep-trapped-snow/
http://iceagenow.info/2014/10/80cm-snow-week-switzerland/
http://iceagenow.info/2014/10/bulgaria-heavy-snowfall-leaves-50-villages-power/
http://iceagenow.info/2014/10/romania-snow-10-centimeters/
http://iceagenow.info/2014/10/kazakhstan-harvesting-20-cm-snow-10-degrees/
http://iceagenow.info/2014/10/snow-chaos-western-austria/
http://iceagenow.info/2014/10/heavy-early-snowfall-north-america-siberia-portend-brutal-winter-u-s-europe/
http://iceagenow.info/2014/10/heavy-autumn-snow-blankets-mohe-city-short-video/
http://iceagenow.info/2014/10/dramatic-temperature-drops-northern-china/
http://iceagenow.info/2014/10/glaciers-k-2-2nd-highest-peak-earth-are-growing/
http://iceagenow.info/2014/10/heavy-snowfall-panic-yekaterinenburg/
I think that will do, but I think you get the picture, it is getting colder and the Scientists and MSM are still shouting “hottest ever”.
Although David Viner did not differentiate the UK or even mention it, the original article was referring to the UK:
"According to Dr David Viner, a senior research scientist at the climatic research unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia,within a few years winter snowfall will become "a very rare and exciting event". "Children just aren't going to know what snow is," he said.
The effects of snow-free winter in Britain are already becoming apparent."
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/snowfalls-are-now-just-a-thing-of-the-past-724017.html
The problem with skiing in Scotland it not just the availability of the snow but the low altitude and winds which can overnight cause the piste to disappear.
That photo is what the beginning of an ice-age looks like!
First it's just a little patch. Then next year it's a bit bigger, then a bit bigger.
And soon its 1mile of ice over your house.
Don't worry, as soon as the IPCC acolytes get word of this, they will explain it away with something like "the increasing levels of atmospheric CO2 are insulating the snow and preventing it from melting".
lapogus and I have commented (mainly to each other) about permanent snow in the Cairngorms and Ben Nevis area here a few times in the past.
Nial
I visit IceAgeNow most days, more often when another we're all going to fry/drown story hits the headlines. It's a good way to get back to reality. Steve Goddard is also a good place with his links to old newspaper headlines and old (unadulterated) data.
Stacey : "resulting in my usual complaint to the BBC. Evan Davis must go ?"
It's a systematic failing of the BBC which is incapable of reform.
The only solution is that the BBC must go.
This is all a simple misunderstanding. The white stuff in the picture is not snow, it is just a large salt deposit which has grown with unprecedented sea level rise in recent years. ;)
Stonyground - yes, here are some links specific to snow / skiing in Scotland which you will note I file under 'climate bollocks':
climate bollocks - scottish ski centres sold because of global warming - http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/feb/14/climatechange.scotland
climate bollocks - Scottish ski industry could disappear due to global warming, warns Met Office. Alex Hill, chief government advisor with the Met Office, said the amount of snow in the Scottish mountains had been decreasing for the last 40 years and there was no reason for the decline to stop.
He added: "Put it this way, I will not be investing in the ski-ing industry. Will there be a ski industry in Scotland in 50 years' time? Very unlikely."http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/4579829/Scottish-ski-industry-could-disappear-due-to-global-warming-warns-Met-Office.html
climate bollocks - [Scottish] Skiing is Doomed - enjoy it while it lasts" Alex Hill, the chief government adviser with the Met Office, told The Scotsman there was no future for skiing in Scotland because climate change would see winters become too warm for regular snowfall. - http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Skiing---is-.4962678.jp
climate bollocks - Scotland to get milder winters and warmer drier summers - Professor John Mitchell, the Met Office's director of climate change, said the rain would become more intense, which can cause flash flooding.Met Office, Jan 2008. Holyrood. http://www.scotsman.com/news/bad_weather_we_have_to_get_used_to_it_1_1073173
Climate bollocks - ScotGov document: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/12/08130835/1 - "Tourism: With milder winters, we can expect substantially less ski and snow-sport related business (ski centres are already adapting their slopes for other sports). Hotter summers are likely to encourage more recreational outdoor physical activities with domestic and overseas tourists in general attracted by Scotland's warmer climate. Warmer spring and autumn temperatures may extend the tourist season in some places. However, increased risks of extreme weather events such as coastal flooding and landslides could cause damage and disruption to fragile island/remote communities who rely on inbound tourism. Tourism businesses and national and international marketing of Scottish tourism will have to be proactive to stay ahead of global competition."
It's true that most of the Scottish ski centres have diversified into mountain-biking in the last 15 years but that is just good business sense and would have happened anyway, regardless of any alleged warming of the climate. If you have chair-lifts and gondolas which can also transport mountain bikers to the top of downhill runs it would be crazy not to operate at least some of them in the summer.
@CharmingQuark & lapogus
Many thanks for the informative responses. I must have misrememborised the Viner quote.
There has been skiing in Glenshee since the late 1930's. Despite the uncertainty of Scottish snow it is now a highly developed outdoor pursuits centre. Schools, police, military and the public all use it. I remember over 30 years ago skiing down the Cairnwell and handgliding there 6 moths later.
Despite the supposed AGW, Glenshee now boasts of 22 lifts and 36 runs!
MikeH
"what the beginning of an ice-age looks like"
Perhaps a T-shirt is in order. I wonder if Dave would wear one?
There was Snow in Cornwall yesterday.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/11205161/Snow-falls-on-school-in-Cornwall.html
Why not just be done with it. Don't play their game. Don't agree that mankind is having an effect on the climate even to some small extent. Tell it like it really is - Mankind is having no effect whatsoever on the earth's temperature. As soon as you say it has a small effect likely to help the temperature increase even half a degree then they have won.
Ridicule them, laugh at them and most importantly don't play by their rules.
I suspect that those pundits who are wheeled on every now and then and when questioned by a reporter feel they have to say there is some warmng from carbon dioxide because either:
a. They're ignorant of the facts and feel there really is something in this global warming nonsense so let's hedge our bets here.
b. They're to frightened to be made to look silly by saying there is no link with minuscule amounts of CO2 and bottle it.
Just do the right thing Andrew, Lawson and all the other talking heads appearing on the telly and do us all a favour. Repeat after me:
"Carbon dioxide emissions from human development have no effect whatsoever on the world's climate".
To do otherwise you might just as well stop wasting your time writing blogs because nobody is listening to you anymore.
Don't tell the warmies, but there was 3 inches of snow in Snowdonia last night
Having skied on Cairngorm in the past it is obvious that Helen Rennie, the skier is merely hoping to avoid the sky high uplift charges and the terrible queues
tonyb
"snow in Snowdonia"
I now have a mental picture of Wallace (the plasticine one, not the leader of the Labour party) responding to Dr Viner's prediction: "What - not even in Snowdonia?"
It was indeed a very snowy winter across many areas of Scotland's uplands. As renowned Scots mountaineer, Hamish MacInnes, remarked in late February,
"The first time I went climbing was in 1945 and I remember cutting our way through snow in Glencoe. I've not seen anything like it until now. This covering of snow we have just now is very alpine. The volume of snow is colossal. It has been falling for weeks now."
Unfortunately (and we're all entitled to our opinions), he later added that despite formerly being critical of climate science in the past, he'd written "... an apology to the people who'd predicted climate change."
"I thought it was just a historical pattern, it probably is to a large extent, but I did kind of poo-pooed [sic] the idea of climate change. This snow is not just something happening in Scotland. This turmoil is throughout the world. I have been in contact with people from all over the world, people in rescue teams, and they have got the same pattern - even more pronounced than us."
It was reported, too, that in January, the upper runs of three Scottish ski resorts - Glencoe Mountain, CairnGorm Mountain and Nevis Range - had more snow than those of Whistler in Canada, a venue for the last Winter Olympics.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-26339994.
With areas within the N. Atlantic to 700m showing progressively cooling trends since 2007 (see http://www.climate4you.com/) and the prospect of a forthcoming negative AMO, it promises to be interesting.
Hey. Come on. That's pretty rotten snow.
Operator error: link for NA temps is http://www.climate4you.com/SeaTemperatures.htm#North Atlantic (60-0W, 30-65N) heat content 0-700 m depth.
The end of snow, the end of skiing, is all nonsense, but the cover photo is not a very strong proof against it (although that could have counted as a fine day on the hills when I was at Edinburgh Uni ski club).
There was a time when many papers were published about the demise of skiing and winter tourism, when ski resorts had a hard time getting financial credit for infrastructure improvements or further development. But is anyone listening to that nowadays?
New theory; it's not actually water ice, it's dry ice - the missing heat has caused the excess CO2 to solidify. Problem solved, it's all due to AGW. Now can somebody, give me details of where I can apply for £million grant to prove this hypothesis.
Looks like snow to me....
4/11/2014
http://www.cairngormmountain.org/webcams/live/ptarmigan1.jpg
It's a systematic failing of the BBC which is incapable of reform.
The only solution is that the BBC must go
MikeHaseler
Mike, It's a systemic failure. The BBC must be privatised.
John de Melle
It was a snow machine. That part of corwall has had no laying snow for 25 yrs, apparently.
That picture just about says it all about skiing in Scotland ... only the pouring rain or stinging hail is missing.
Presumably there was quite a long walk to get to that piece of snow, carrying skis
Sounds very keen
... and she's not even wearing a helmet! She's braver than I am standing on that half-melted snow bridge; what if it collapses?
Nial: re http://iceagenow.info/2014/10/romania-snow-10-centimeters/
Nothing special in fact! Romania usually gets some snow in some areas at this time of year. Temperature in Brasov
(in the middle) is predicted to be 20 degrees for Thursday. See Weather map
But as we know weather is not climate.
In 2004 David Viner was predicting the end of the Scottish skiing industry:
And in 2009 the Met Office was saying much the same thing:
I suspect David Viner is just a shill for Big Grapes.
To add to the 'we won't see snow' debate, we had the first snow of the year on our local mountain last night and this is down in France near the Spanish border and the med!
@jamesp
No chance of confusion - the leader of the Labour Party looks more like the companion.
Gromit, is it?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-29693024
The Scottish ski industry is in fact expanding!