The last of the cold blast

 

Today is supposed to be the last day of the arctic blast we've been experiencing. It's been bitterly cold, below zero the last few days. I've had the heater going in the polytunnel nonstop all week. The donkeys have been cozy enough on their hay bed but their water keeps freezing. I've been breaking it up and removing chunks of ice every morning. Yesterday, the tarmac surface was solid black ice. This morning started with snow sprinkles. We're supposed to get rain but as the temperature is hovering consistently at 2C, it could just continue to snow. It's also supposed to be quite windy. I felt the breeze picking up after I fed the donkeys this morning but the gale has not yet materialised. 

Although I was frozen cold this week, being outdoors was quite pleasant. No precipitation. Blue skies. No wind. Actually quite lovely. I watched as the sea froze before my eyes at Ross house the day before yesterday. Croagh Patrick and Nephin were quite white and indistinguishable from the clouds. 

And yet, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change report issued for 2024 yesterday showed that 2024 was once again a record-breaking year in global warmth and we've passed the 1.5C mark above the pre-industrial levels. Meanwhile, the US East coast is having a polar vortex event. They've even started naming their winter storms in America. This one is Blair. All while LA burns. They say 10,000 homes have been destroyed in LA and the fires are not contained. These whiplash events are becoming increasingly more common as the climate warms. 

https://x.com/i/status/1877626523143880896