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What is the biggest temperature variation you have heard of in one town?
A few days ago, I saw a copy of the âTidBitsâ paper in Milton-Freewater. It had a very interesting article on the Arctic and mentioned that a town in Russia called Verkhoyansk had the lowest temperature ever recorded in the Arctic â minus 89.9 degrees. And then, in 2020, that same town recorded a temperature of 100.4 degrees.
That is a high/low variance in one place of 190 degrees. The article also noted that the 100-degree temperature set an all-time record for the Arctic, âalarming meteorologists worldwide.â Another interesting statistic said if all Arctic ice melted, sea level would rise 23 feet. And if all Antarctic ice melted, global sea level would rise 197 feet, a combined total of 220 feet of sea-level rise.
A statewide poll published this fall in the
East Oregonian revealed a majority of Oregonians believe the climate is changing, although what to do about it is still up for debate. While the debate continues, research and experiences are helping us understand and adapt to our changing environment. By approaching this with our eyes wide open, we can all do our part while building a sustainable future.
Here locally, we are seeing longer, drier summers extending well into the fall. Although climate change is not the only reason for recent large wildfires, it certainly contributes to their intensities and length of wildfire seasons.