North Atlantic’s Warm Winter.

(source)

With the exception of Scandinavia, all of Europe, parts of western Siberia, and the Atlantic coast of North America are set to register above average temperatures (1979-2000 base) on January 1st, 2022, according to ClimateReanalyzer.org. In eastern US and Canada, Germany, Denmark and Poland temperatures may exceed the average for this time of the year by more than 10ºC (18ºF).

A couple days ago, Spain was registering record temperatures for winter. Particularly Bilbao, in northern Spain: local thermometers rose to 24.7ºC for the first time since 1947, when temperatures started being collected. Spokesman for the Spanish meteorological agency (AEMET) Rubén del Campo, quoted by The Guardian, said: “These high temperatures are not normal. These are temperatures that you would normally see in the month of April.”

In western US and Canada temperatures are heading the other way: up to 10º to 12ºC below average. In particular, residents of Colorado witnessed in the last few days a cold and dry winter, with raging wildfires. Longer fire seasons, anyone?

It finally started snowing, which is a mixed blessing: it does help firefighters; the newly homeless, however, may feel differently.

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I can’t say I’m familiar with the weather everywhere in the northern hemisphere, but two things I can say:

1. 25ºC in northern Spain at this time of the year is unusual and 
2. winter wildfires anywhere do sound strange to me.
   

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In Australia, La Niña is bringing rain to the east. Enhanced cloud cover over southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales (including Sydney) has contributed to a slightly, but much welcome, milder summer. But Little Tassie and New Zealand – of all places! – are having a warmer summer – I guess a re-think to my dream of retiring to Tasmania or the South Island may be required. Damn!