Winter weather is returning with a vengeance. The Weather Channel reports that much of the northeast will be slammed with Winter Storm Rex, with some places getting as much as 10-14 inches.
--In Gray, ME, snowfall rates of 2-4 inches per hour were reported. People there are being advised to stay off the roads.
--In Boston, advisories are expected for icing tomorrow.
--Heavy snow falling in Pico, VT.
--In some parts of Minnesota, over a foot of snow is expected Thursday. This storm will be centered around Duluth and the northwest corner of Wisconsin. Strong winds will produce blowing and drifting snow and major travel impacts are expected.
--The storm will also hit northern Michigan hard.
--In Milwaukee, icing and wind gusts of as much as 40-50 miles per hour are expected.
--Blizzard watches have been issued for as far south as Des Moines. Three to seven inches of snow with wind speeds of 25-35 miles per hour gusting as high as 50 miles per hour are expected. Tree damage and power outages are possible
These are just some of the areas that will be affected by this human induced climate change weather event. All I can say is, stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary.
Many of us who grew up in the 1930's or who are familiar with history can recall worse events. These sorts of severe winter storms usually happened once a year in the past. But now, they are happening increasingly frequently. These are the sorts of things which shut down commerce.
Multiple news outlets are reporting that there are national salt shortages for the area. The danger is that should these winter storms continue, some jurisdictions will not have enough salt to service the roads, which will remain slick after snowstorms. Should fatal accidents occur, there will be massive lawsuits involved. The alternative would be that major roadways would be closed in the event of a snowstorm as highway departments would have to choose between liability and keeping the roads open.
With the snowstorms wreaking havoc on our economy the way they are, this is no time for our politicians to play partisan political games. Our Congress needs to do whatever it takes to reduce carbon emissions to the point where the damage to our climate is mitigated.