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Vivian
Posted on 2024-07-10
Heavy snowfalls could be effect of ‘global warming’
By Vivian Heyl
When scientists first began using the term “global warming” to describe the effects of greenhouse gases on the environment many interpreted this as strictly relating to how warm the air was going to be. One of the most frequently asked questions is “How can there be global warming when it’s this cold?”
Scientists now often refer to the effects of global warming with the more precise term “climate change,” which more aptly describes how greenhouse gases are affecting the planet. The melting of the polar ice caps are good indications for the warming of our planet. Even though most of the surface air has warmed by only a degree over the past century, surface air over the polar caps has warmed by almost four degrees.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the increase in temperature causes a rise in ocean levels as polar ice melts. The rising ocean levels increase the moisture in the air. More water vapor in the air has led to an increase in precipitation in the northern hemisphere, which has resulted in record rain and snow events.
Scientists predicted that warmer air holding larger amounts of water vapor would lead to more severe weather. The last decade has been marked by record-setting rainfall and snow events. Last year’s January ice storm was the result of waves of warm moisturebearing air moving up from the Gulf of Mexico encountering surface air chilled by an Arctic front. This led to one of the worst ice storms on record for Northeast Arkansas.
NOAA reports that the southern United States has had an 11.6 percent increase in precipitation since 1900. This is a significant increase according to the agency. The United States Environmental Protection Agency said on its website that NOAA’s report is consistent with the simulations that predict an increase in precipitation due to human-induced warming (the burning of fossil fuels and other practices which result in greenhouse gas emissions).
Dr. Jeff Masters, a meteorologist and co-founder of the website Weather Underground, said there are only two things needed for a record-setting snowstorm: a record amount of moisture in the air (or a very slow moving storm) and temperatures cold enough to produce snow. It doesn’t have to be record-setting cold temperatures to produce record-setting snow but the moisture has to be present.
This year’s winter storms continue to support the climate change stance of scientists and environmentalists. Record nationwide snowfall has been reported over the last two weeks with locally heavy amounts exceeding 10 inches in Lawrence County and a record one-day snowfall set in Craighead County.
With yet another possibility of frozen precipitation later in the week the predictions by meteorologic experts of an increasing number of snowstorm events caused by large amounts of moisture in the atmosphere may be proved to be dead on.
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Originally published in The Times Dispatch on February 10, 2010.
by Vivian Heyl 1950-2024
Vivian Running Sound At Blues Fest
Vivian was editor at Delta Boogie since we started the site in 1996. She wrote almost all of our Delta Musicians section, the most popular area on Delta Boogie. She also wrote anything else on Delta Boogie that doesn't have a byline.
She also worked for the Times Dispatch in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, where she contributed many features and some reporting. Her work at the Times Dispatch regularly won awards from the Arkansas Press Association.
Writing was her passion. She wrote for her whole life. Much of it we still have in computer files. I am posting her work here as I find it.
by Larry Heyl
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Gretchen says:
Today we celebrate Vivian Heyl. Mom, Grandma, Viv. Whatever name you knew her by, I'm sure at some point in time she used her gift of nurturing on you. She was indeed a nurturer - of the mind, body and spirit. Her words of encouragement could only be outdone by her quick wit and, when needed, sharp tongue. She loved unconditionally, but she had no problem calling you on your crap. She welcomed ALL to her family - and about the only thing that would get you unwelcome was making someone else feel that way. Today we celebrate the life she lived, the example she set and the love she shared.
Many have asked what they can do for the family or in memory of Mom - I offer these suggestions:
Play a game with your family. There is nothing that would be a better gift than to share joy with your family and in memory of Mom.
Read a book (it can have pictures). Mom loved to go on adventures in books and she led us kids down the same path.
Encourage a kid (preferably one who no else even seems to notice). I promise that is the one Mom would spot first and immediately bring into the fold.
We would also love to hear your stories about Mom. We would love anyone who would like to share stories or memories to do so in the comment thread. Maybe you have a story where you realized, possibly even years later, that you had been molded by a momma's love in the form of Vivian Heyl.
If you would like to make a memorial gift, please consider the children and youth fund at Brookland UMC or the friends of the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library, the Lawrence County Library or your local library.
Lastly, just keep loving us! We are sad, but we are blessed.
Add your words to the comments thread:
Words and Comments
Delta Boogie Newsletter/Gamer+ News - May 2024 - This One's For Vivian
https://gamerplus.org/@hairylarry/pages/1714661546292
My wife Vivian was the editor of Delta Boogie and a regular contributor to Gamer+. She helped me with everything I did including Blues Fest for 25 years, The Bandshell Project, Jonesboro Computer Services, The Jonesboro User Group, and so much more. I don't know what I'll do without her.
On April 18, 2024, Vivian passed on.
She was a writer all her life and I am collecting her writings here.
https://deltaboogie.net/words
She worked at The Times Dispatch in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, for years. Her features regularly won Awards from the Arkansas Press Association.
She wrote almost all of Delta Musicians, the most popular section on Delta Boogie, where she provided Delta Bluesmen with a place on the internet back in the nineties. She also wrote all of the articles on Delta Boogie that do not have a byline.
She played and ran fantasy RPGs with dice and miniatures at ASU Beebe in the early seventies before D&D was published.
We home schooled our children and she saw their love of D&D as an educational opportunity for reading, writing, history, the arts, and, of course, math.
She loved music and games and she raised a family of musicians and gamers.
We have five children and seven grandchildren. I had two boys before we married and she loved them like her own.
She saved my life and she gave me a good life. I love her still and always.
For her, I thank you all, for your continued support of Delta Boogie, Gamer+, Delta music, NEA gaming and whatever else it is that you do to make the world a little bit better.
Please take a minute and say a prayer.
Thanks,
Hairy Larry
https://gamerplus.org/@hairylarry
hairylarry@deltaboogie.com
Comment thread here.