If global warming is a fraud, someone forgot to tell the polar ice caps,
which continue to melt.

I have no doubt that there are periodic climatic weather variations
and micro-meteorological effects. Could be some are creating macro
climatic effects also but there is also evidence of long term cycles.
Last two soaring seasons in Colorado have been poor, compared to the
five drought years we had. We had substantial snow cover for months
in 2007-2008, and almost as much 2008-2009. So far we've had 33" of
snow here in Greeley this fall (nominally a desert climate) and it's
snowing again tonight. Fort Collins has reported 44 inches as of the
last snowfall and it's snowing there again tonight. We are assured of
a white Christmas for the third year in a row as we are expecting
periods of snow and blowing snow through Thursday. The only variable
that's changed somewhat since I moved here in 1995 is the deep solar
sunspot minimum which is now approaching three years in duration.

That said, we are typically drier in an El Nino period, but our snows
to date have had good moisture content and the normally high winds
that blow away the moisture haven't happened.

Whistler Mountain, site of the 2010 Winter Olympics skiing opened 12
days early this year. Some Colorado resorts opened very early this
year following a cool summer.

Loss of snow on the top of Kilimanjaro seems as significant as the
shrinking of the polar ice cap. At least some of these effects
indicate human activities, but some of the cause-effect relationships
may be less clear. Similar effects are seen in the high mountains of
Bolivia and Ecuador.

Frank Whiteley