What the hell has gone wrong with the weather in the last few years?

Question

It is almost summer in Australia, with December marking the start of traditionally fairly hot summers on the east coast...yet today it's snowing in the town of Ballarat Victoria, after it basked in almost 40C tempuratures yesterday. There are no stable weather patterns anymore, anywhere in the world. It is unheard of to have snow in a place that is renowned for being hot at this time of year. After todays snow reports and seeing the photos, I am starting to truly believe a growing number of scientists predicting that we may be coming into another Ice Age in the near future due to recent global warming. Australia is suffering terribly from drought, the worst drought on record, now it seems to be taking on another ill turn. I'm not normally a pesimist, but the evidence is clearly there! Not just in the facts, but it's also a certain uncomfortable 'feeling' from mother nature I have had for a while now. Are there any academics, scientists or like minded people reading this that also believe in this prediction? Please share your thoughts...

Answer 1

Could be something has gone wrong with the person asking a question about weather (though so long as it is not going to hell as you mention it is okay I suppose)...

Just busting your chops mate ;)

Seriously though, it could have something to do with El Niño. That affects the flow patterns and indeed is responsible for drought in Australia. It occurred during 2003 and just as you might've been recovering from it, it is developing again:

http://www.john-daly.com/elnino.htm
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/glossary/elnino/elnino.shtml

The Southern Oscillation Index has persistently been negative since then.

Regarding the snow, I recall snow in the Adelaide area once during December early 1990's. The temperature of the Antarctic Ocean doesn't change a great amount, and it takes awhile to heat during Spring. So though you seldom have snow, seems it can occur just about as easily now as during Winter - just need the right weather system to bring cold air from the south. My very limited observation.

Answer 2

People talk about the oil supply tipping point and that once we reach it the world is in trouble but it has not happened yet so let's ignore it.
However we may just have reached and passed the world's climate tipping point which means that we are in for a period of great instability followed by rapid decline into a horrible future for future generations including present young people.
By the way this behaviour is typical for many natural systems so why should the world climate system be any different.

Answer 3

Ice Age...? I wish.

I live in Atlanta, GA., U.S.A., and it's hot here. It's always hot, or at least unseasonably warm. Today was about 70, which is just about room temperature.

It never gets really cold, here, and I have a closet full of sweaters and also 6 winter coats I brought with me from my former residence which I don't expect to ever need here.

I hate the damned unending heat here.

Answer 4

In collie we have had incredibly muggy weather(humid, near the extent of the tropics) earlier this year we had a night that was -6 It makes you wonder if global warming is the right word I think that something will happen I just don't know what it is

Answer 5

yes Australia does have strange weather now days
nearly every storm brings damage to some one!! tiles etc are ripped off some roofs . huge hail like this afternoon in a suburb of Brisbane
I think to many trees are cut down
burning of fossil fuels oil etc
nuclear testing must cause heaps of problems
it is quite a worry now
I never feared storms but now they are scary
the governments must do more ASAP & stop thinking of money
they must get serious I think

Answer 6

Global warming.