Midwest Heartlanders, a question:

[Subdivisions]

It's October 3rd. Is this normal?





With all the other stuff going on, I am still worried about global warming and what is being done to stop it.

The changes occur slowly enough that perhaps they're not as noticable as if it were sudden, but it seems to me that we are having temperatures here in Texas into the nineties further and further into the fall weeks. Are you guys seeing similar changes? Has Global Warming come to the heartland?

[MnFats]

1. it is weird.

we get strong storms earlier, and later, than ever. -- thunderstorms, tornados etc.
meanwhile, winters have been milder than usual for several years....haven't had a real blizzard barrel through here, with several days of subzero weather to follow, in several years.

[Kittycat]

6. Last December...

I'm not sure where you are, but last December was one of the coldest months with consistent cold for a long time. All of our heating bills showed it too (not just in cost, due to increases - but in usage).

[Kittycat]

2. Indian Summer

As long as I can remember, we have gotten a short heat wave in the Fall. In school it was always referred to as Indian Summer (central IL). Sometimes it's a little earlier, sometimes later. I distinctly remember one fall when I believe I was in Jr. High that we were wearing shorts outside after school - that was the first week of December. The heat just came out of no where.

I'm in the Chicago Burbs now, and as for the rains, last night was a little odd - to have something that felt more like a Spring rain in the fall, but we do get rain. It's actually been cold here, and the last few days it's warm, so it doesn't surprise me that we got a good thunderstorm/shower with the two fronts meeting like that. But before long it's going to be bitter cold here, and we'll have chilling rain until the snows come in. Then we'll hide in our houses like rabbits until May when it starts to warm up again.

[RaleighNCDUer]

12. But even at that, Indian Summer would be in the 70s or even up

to the mid-80s. I don't recall ever seeing temps in the 90s in October when I lived in IL, MO, IA or NE.

[Kittycat]

16. It's not 90 degrees here. It hit 80 today in the chicago burbs

That's right in line to me.

I'm not trying to refute global warming, because I believe strongly in it. However, it is a normal season for us to experience Indian Summer. I grew up 3 hours south of here, and can remember very warm days in late september, october - and as I mentioned, one year in early december. It's an odd seasonal thing, but not out of the ordinary. The overall milder winters (lack of constant snow), however is very strange. And I do agree with a PP that stated that seasonal shit seems apparent, with the warm/cold months being pushed off a month.

[Bluzmann57]

3. No it isn't normal

average high for the date is 71 or thereabouts. However, it seems that every year, we have one stretch of hot weather before Autumn truly sets in. But I'm sitting in air conditioning in my house right now. That ain't normal for October at all.

[Kittycat]

7. 4 or 5 days ago, it was 45-55 degrees here

Then the warm front came in. We were wearing jackets and sweaters, even turned the heat on at night. One morning, it stayed at 45 until noon.

All of our trees have almost completed losing their leaves, except for the Maples and Pear out front. It's clearly fall here, I just stand by this as being Indian Summer, and normal.

I do think this summer was much hotter than normal though.

[Skidmore]

4. Yes and no. Some years we have a slightly longer summer.

We had a little cold spell last week with one night of frost and the trees are changing colors now. In the past we've had Halloween's that were colder blue blazes and all the candy in the world couldn't get the kids out begging, and then we've had Halloweens when it was so warm all the parents were following hot and cranky sugared up kids around in shorts and flipflops. This time of the year is pretty variable in terms of temperatures.

[ClassWarrior]

5. Used to be we were snow-covered all winter. Now we have to hope...

...snow falls on the right weekend if we want to go sledding. Otherwise it's practically melted by the following one. I started noticing this YEARS ago.

NGU.

[StoryTeller]

8. Last fall...

I'm in Omaha, Nebraska, and last Thanksgiving, I still had ROSES in bloom on my rosebushes. Very weird. But so far, it doesn't seem too unusual this year. We had some chilly days in September, and then the last few days have been pretty warm. But I don't think it's all that unusual.

[Debi]

9. We usually see a heat blast at the end of summer and then

some major rains. But not this far into fall. I've had my air conditioning on during the day and then my heat on at night the last couple of days. I just hope the 'severe' weather predictied doesn't arrive!

[tcfrogs]

10. Totally normal

It could snow next week.

[cornermouse]

11. Tornadoes are unusual.

On the other hand, I remember some pretty nice Octobers which usually lasted until the day before Halloween. Most of my trick-or-treat nights as a child were pretty cold, frequently rainy as well. It was a source of major disappointment at that age.

[Poiuyt]

13. It seems to me that the seasons have shifted one month

Here in Wisconsin, it used to be that the hot months were June, July, and August, and the cold months were December, January, and Februarary. Now the hot months are July, August and September, while the cold months are January, February, and March.

I have also noticed that we don't get as much snow as we did when I was a kid (back in the 50s), we don't get as much sub-zero weather, and I don't think we get as hot in the summer either.

In spring and fall, unusual weather is quite normal.

[rainbow4321]

14. Relative that lives in Oklahoma

said it's been in the mid 90's this week. Their local news said it's the hottest October there in several decades.

[catmandu57]

15. Not normal, but possible

The last couple of days we've tied or just barely set a new record for heat. The old records were old, so it has happened before, last week we were digging out the fall clothes today the air conditioner is going.
Tomorrow, it's supposed to be back to normal.
I understand that we're having another el nino this year, that may be affecting what's going on.

[Broken_Hero]

17. the temps are similiar to last year

I remember the end of Sept/beg of Oct last year was rather warm, in the 90s...as for the weather, its normal I think...granted I have only lived in SW Missouri for three years...fall = thunderstorms/rain...last three falls have been this way.