No White Christmas?

This past summer in southern Michigan felt more like a summer somewhere in the mid-elevation southwestern United States.  We had weeks of highs in the upper 90's, along with five day stretches here and there of 100+ temperatures.  What's more, our nights dropped down more than twenty-five degrees lower on many occasions.  The soil caked or looked more like sand, saplings fried in the hot sun, lawns looked dreadful even when watered, and the cacti I planted positively thrived.  About a month ago, I walked along the southern shores of Lake Huron... several hundred feet off shore, on dry land.  Much of the country has experienced intense heat and drought this summer.

Along came the fall, and with it a return to some rain and moderate temperatures, along with an exceptionally early freeze back in the second week of September.  Things started to level out, but then began looking like the previous winter, with days well above normal and nights not really budging that far from the highs.  Last winter featured January days in the 50's with exceptionally high humidity.  This winter has so far followed suit, with December days regularly seeing 60.  Last winter I felt that I could get away with planting a Needle Palm (Rhapidophyllum Hystrix), but wishful thinking aside, I noticed a few things this fine December 17th when I took a walk outside.  Among my botanical bursts of enthusiasm this year has been a voyage of exploration into the flora of the American southeast.  I took a gamble on growing a Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia Virginiana), unprotected and exposed, in the yard.  While there were a few initial hiccups with soil acidity to begin with, and the leaves have fallen off due to overnight freezes, I did notice something curious.

The air temperature near the ground usually tends to be higher than that of the air even a foot above the ground, but not so high as to, say, keep things from freezing in winter.  Winds can still blow and chill even close down to the ground, and one will notice that one's lawn does indeed stop growing this late into the season.  Well, it really has not this year, nor did it last year.  What's more, while the rest of the Magnolia went through its deciduous process (further south, say in Georgia down, they can tend towards being evergreen), new growth has been popping up here in mid-December!  Last year the lilacs did the same thing, stopping only in January and starting back up again in late February.  The Rhododendron looks amazing, and only recently did my last hosta bite the dust.  These past two winters have been experiencing climactic conditions closer to what would be normal for Kentucky or Maryland than Michigan, more humid subtropical than humid continental.

There is, of course, a down side to all of this.  Our water reserves might suffer for it, particularly where the Great Lakes are concerned.  Snow and an intense spring melt usually gives water bodies a chance to recuperate, as if all the moisture is kept safely on the ground until it can be released before getting a chance to evaporate again.  Out west, our Rockies have seen less and less snowfall, and rivers such as the Colorado and Rio Grande have suffered for it.

I-70 eastbound, about 9,000 feet up.  Near Georgetown, Colorado.

Time will tell whether this is a permanent change or not.  For now, those of wanting snow need to head north of the 44 parallel or so.