Weather Statistics for January since 1901

[SkiDooStu]

Well, I was bored yesterday, so I had a look at the mean (average) January temperature, by year, and by decade since 1901 right up until this year.

This is not meant as a commentary on Global Warming, but rather a commentary on the highly variable winters in London, Ontario.

The yellow line represents 2001-2010. There is another incomplete yellow line from 2011 to 2013.

There is a blue line that represents 1971 to 1980, which is likely the decade that most people of the baby boomer generation nostalgize with regard to big snows and cold temperatures.

The red line is 1931 to 1940, a rather warm decade.

The black lines are every decade not included above.

Any thoughts? I don't really see the "warmer shorter winters" argument when you examine the last hundred or so years as a whole, but I definitely do see this argument when you compare it to the 1960's and 1970's.

Edit: The "1st 2nd 3rd" etc on the x-axis are the years in the decade - ie. 1931 is 1st, 1932 is 2nd, etc.

[Wildbill]

Well, I was bored yesterday, so I had a look at the mean (average) January temperature, by year, and by decade since 1901 right up until this year.

This is not meant as a commentary on Global Warming, but rather a commentary on the highly variable winters in London, Ontario.

The yellow line represents 2001-2010. There is another incomplete yellow line from 2011 to 2013.

There is a blue line that represents 1971 to 1980, which is likely the decade that most people of the baby boomer generation nostalgize with regard to big snows and cold temperatures.

The red line is 1931 to 1940, a rather warm decade.

The black lines are every decade not included above.

Any thoughts? I don't really see the "warmer shorter winters" argument when you examine the last hundred or so years as a whole, but I definitely do see this argument when you compare it to the 1960's and 1970's.

Edit: The "1st 2nd 3rd" etc on the x-axis are the years in the decade - ie. 1931 is 1st, 1932 is 2nd, etc.

So thats what happened to winter.

[Fred Quimby]

I need a drink after looking at that!

[SkiDooStu]

I will be posting two more that I am working on.

One of the graphs shows the number of days in January, per each decade, where the high temperature went above zero.

The other will show the number of days in January, per each decade, where the high temperature went above 10 degrees celcius.

A preview: With the exception of a couple of decades, 1960 and 1970's to be exact, the period from 2001 to 2013 is NOT any warmer overall, at least in London, Ontario.

[revrnd]

A preview: With the exception of a couple of decades, 1960 and 1970's to be exact, the period from 2001 to 2013 is NOT any warmer overall, at least in London, Ontario.

Stu, the "experts" said the other day that Canada as a whole is melting. The last 16 years, each year is progressively warmer than the last.