Climate change anyone?

I have lived in the Pacific Northwest for thirty years. I have a little perspective. My considered, anecdotal opinion: it's hot.

Now we don't really have the right to whine about heat, considering what the rest of the interior West is going through right now. Ellensburg, just over the mountains, had a record setting 110° F yesterday. People are dying from this heat wave. It won't be long now before the fires start. On the wet side of the Cascades we think it's a hardship when it hits the upper 70s. I adapt by exercising in the early morning and hiding in my cool basement studio for the duration.

The lawns are turning brown early this year (it's a mark of good citizenship here to not water them), and I'm drip irrigating all my stressed trees. I remember when it didn't used to be like this, when we had "5 o'clock" summers, which was about when the sun burnt through the marine stratus layer. This, now, is our second heat wave of the season, and it's only going to get hotter next week. Seattle is going to see temps in the lower 90°s.

I wonder what we'll see after another decade or two of this?

Comments

[Jeff Carlson]

Years ago, before "climate change" became a widespread term, I had an inkling of its effect. At the Fred Meyer on 85th, there used to be photos taken in the 20s or 30s (no longer there). Their contents?

Ice-skating on Green Lake.

[christian]

Yes - it's been great this week!
Once we start hitting the 90s maybe I'll change my tune.

[John]

Perhaps we're headed towards the tropical environment that existed during the time of the dinosaurs,or maybe this will peak someday and we'll start heading into a another ice age; in which case we'll be concerned with glaciers coming down and wiping out a large share of the cities in the northern U.S. and southern Canada. Just one darn thing after another!