CRU’s forecast: UK winter snowfall will become “a very rare and exciting event”

Watts Up With That?
Tuesday, Dec 29th, 2009

Richard North from the EU Referendum writes of a curious juxtaposition of forecasts, then and now. I thought it worth sharing here since it highlights the chutzpah
with which CRU botched their forecast in March of 2000. At least they
didn’t claim that UK snowfall was in a “death spiral”.

From The Independent
on 20 March 2000 we got the headline: “Snowfalls are now just a
thing of the past”. According to Dr David Viner, a senior
research scientist at the climatic research unit (CRU) of the
University of East Anglia, within a few years winter snowfall will
become “a very rare and exciting event”.

Then, from the Telegraph online today we get: “Snow and ice to hit Britain at New Year.”

The mercury is set to drop to 28°F (-3°C) in
most of England and Wales on Thursday night, New Year’s Eve, and
17°F (-8°C) in Scotland, with widespread snow showers also
predicted. New Year’s Day will also be chilly, with the northern
half of Britain’s struggling to get above freezing during the
day, while London will do well to reach 39°F (4°C)

The forecast follows a spell of snow, sleet and ice which has
gripped Britain for more than a week but relented in most parts over
recent days.

It is so good to see in The Independent that the CRU is living up to its justly acquired reputation for accuracy.

I’ll also point out that this “very rare and exciting event” happened in London last year also.

Snow blankets London for Global Warming debate – first October Snow in over 70 years

Above: London 10/29/2008