Basically it was spring most of the summer. It is now the middle of October and only one light frost. The day time temps are in the 60's and will continue for the foreseeable future.
Global warming is not a temperature increase, it is an energy increase. Weather is energy driven. absolute temperature is just part of the equation.
This energy increase causes shifting in weather patterns. Hot places may cool off, cold places may warm up or not. Wet may go dry or dry may get wet.
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Statement as of 2:20 PM CDT on October 13, 2005
... Winter outlook indicates milder weather probable...
The climate prediction center /CPC/ issued its preliminary winter
outlook for the December 2005 to February 2006 time frame. The CPC
indicates there is the likelihood that the upcoming winter will... on
average... favor above normal temperatures over a large part of the
central United States. There are currently no strong atmospheric
signals to indicate winter precipitation patterns over much of the
nation. The exceptions are above normal precipitation is expected
acorss portions of the deep south... with less than average winter
precipitation across portions of the southwest.
The CPC relies heavily on the existence of either an El Nino or a La
Nina /enso/ to make its winter outlooks. In the absence of a
significant El Nino and La Nina event... estimates of long-term
trends along with a variety of dynamic and statistical tools provide
the foundation for the forecast. One tool that is used at noaa's CPC
is the average conditions during the last 10 years compared with the
long-term average for 1971-2000. Average winter temperature
departures from normal for the period 1971-2000 are considerably
cooler than those for the most recent 10-year average over much of
the nation.
Local research indicates a slightly different picture. In years with
enso neutral Winters across the Red River valley tend to exhibit
more normal patterns of both temperature and precipitation. The main
message for this upcoming winter is to expect large week to week and
month to month variations in both temperature and precipitation.
This would be similar to the patterns of this past Summer... when
June was very wet and mild... July was mild and dry then August was
cool and wet.
Information concerning El Nino... La Nina and the winter outlooks are
available at the CPC web site at
Http://www.CPC.NCEP.NOAA.Gov/ (all lower case)
As well as the Grand Forks NWS office at
Http://www.Crh.NOAA.Gov/fgf/ (all lower case)
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=58103