The Spectrum

Issue date: 12/8/05 Section: Features

Media Credit: The Spectrum/ Ariane Rasmussen Winter hasn't officially begun yet and already cars are covered in snow.

Getting those heavy winter clothes out of the attic didn't seem so appealing before, but with the constant weather changes right now, it's difficult to avoid that.

Even those who dislike amusement can't help being taken on the rollercoaster ride the East Coast has been a part of for the past few months, including hurricane threats and extreme temperature changes.

"The east is on tap for a crazy ride, with the temperatures and weather initially leading into the winter season seeming mild, but the bulk of the winter will turn out to be unusually cold, with plenty of snow especially in the northern sections," reveals Sandi Duncan, Philom, Managing Editor of the Farmers' Almanac. SHU students are amongst the many that have been affected by the weather changes. It has been especially difficult for those who live on campus and have no cars to deal with the weather.

"It's been jumping from high to low. It's inconvenient for us and now it's getting way too cold," said Manuel Santiago, freshman, South Hadley, Mass. Despite many people's frustrations regarding the weather, there are still those who haven't really been bothered by it.

"I don't really mind it, I love the cold weather," said Ashley Bos, freshman, Long Island, N.Y.

Everyone has to cope with the weather, but the big question is, "What is causing such extreme changes and where is it going in the near future?"

According to Dr. Mel Goldstein, the renowned Chief Meteorologist of WTNH-TV (News Channel 8) who has been predicting the weather in Conn. for about 30 years, it is natural for areas to go through extreme changes within periods of time.

"I don't think years go by without extreme weather results. In terms of hurricane intensity and frequency, this year, we had more hurricanes than ever before and the most severe ones in the Atlantic Basin. It's not unheard of that we go through these changes with periods of many natural disasters," said Dr. Goldstein. "During the late forties up until the early seventies, there was a 25-year period of very active storms. From 1970 to 1995, it was relatively quiet and now we are in the middle of an active cycle. We're only ten years within this cycle so we can expect that the hurricanes will be around for a while. The more hurricanes that occur, the greater the chance that we'll experience them." Dr. Goldstein said that the main cause of strong storms is the cycle of storm waters that appear in the oceans. When there are strong currents in the ocean that are warm, it leads to hurricanes.

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