Global Warming?

Boise's last snow storm: April 9th, 2008

Idaho Falls--The Farm Bureau's John Thompson woke up to an inch of snow at his home near Ririe on June 10th, he had questions about media reports of global warming. And the thought probably crossed Roy Pattens mind as well; the University of Idaho’s Parker Farm supervisor measured a 10th of an inch of snow on Tuesday, it was the first time in more than a century that a measureable amount of snow was recorded at the farm.

The Parker research Farm's records date back to 1900, according to Patten. Idaho Climatologist Russ Qualls, a University of Idaho professor of agricultural engineering, said Wednesday he reviewed weather records after watching the previous day’s snowstorm. Records from Moscow dating back to February 1893 showed June during the 20th century was snow free. Two reports of trace amounts of snow were reported on June 15, 1895, and June 5, 1899.Qualls, testified at the Statehouse earlier this year about climate change trends, said he regards the June snowstorm as more of a weather event than a sign of climate change.

Quallss analysis of climate change models developed by international experts suggested that during coming decades southern Idaho may be in for wetter conditions as weather patterns shift.Tuesday’s snowfall, however, probably was significant of not much more than an unusually cold airmass hugging the ground. The cold allowed the snow to stay frozen all the way down rather than melting above.“This was a weather event. With the issue of global warming, we’re looking at very small, gradual changes in temperature,” Qualls added. “I would not interpret this to be a sign one way or the other about global warming.”

If weather records reached a few hundred years further back, June snows would have been more likely, Qualls said. The Little Ice Age began in the 1500s and ended in the late 1800s, and since June is normally a wet month, colder temperatures could have made snows more probable.Patten measured the snowfall about 10 a.m. Even though the snow was falling heavily, the ground was warm enough that it melted quickly. The snow fell for several hours, from early morning until early afternoon in most areas.

The cold temperatures and white snow has cut into summer vacations, slowed crops but has saved millions of gallons of water needed during the late summer. Thompson has noticed a difference on his chicken farm, egg production is down.

Eastern and Northern Idaho are infamous for severe weather but according to Patten also varies widely by locale. “That’s the thing about the Palouse: There are a lot of microclimates,” Patten said, adding that it might have snowed nearby in June, but this is the first time enough has fallen to measure at the farm.