Thursday, July 17, 2008

Listen to the Warm

Is it possible that Pittsburgh is an island of tranquillity in a sea of global warming hysteria? So it would seem, according to an article in today's paper concerning the so-called "hot spell" that we are experiencing this week. A "hot spell" in Pittsburgh involves "high temperatures of 89 degrees today, 90 on Friday and daily highs in the upper 80s through Sunday." Now, to someone who lived in the Washington, DC area for 33 years this is a joke. Weather like that just described in Washington, in July, would be considered brisk and refreshing... bracing... a bit on the cool side, even. But wait, there's more! The same article provides gory details as to "past scorchers" -- and see if these data scream "global warming!" to you:

Longest heat wave -- July 4 to 16, 1988

Most intense heat wave -- July 8 to 15, 1936 (yes, that's 72 years ago)

Highest temperature -- a three-way tie between July 16, 1988; Aug. 6, 1918; and July 10, 1881. Yeah, that's right -- 20 years ago, 90 years ago, and 127 years ago.

Warmest month on record -- July 1887, a mere 121 years ago.

Warmest year on record -- 1921.

So when I say -- as I just did in a post yesterday -- that I challenge anyone to swear that they have experienced global warming based on personal, direct experience... well, I was talking about individuals and not cities. But now I can toss out the same challenge to Pittsburgh. Sorry, but this global warming dog just don't hunt.

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