ASK THE METEOROLOGIST
“How is global warming affecting the Earth?”
Looking back at the changes between the 1930-1980 (50 years) period and 1981-2010 (29 years) period at the Medford Airport, which is where we get the official National Weather Service data from for Medford, you find quite a difference in how much warmer we are now. The data compares the most recent 30 year normals to those of 1981-2010. The data shows that the annual average high temperatures has risen by 1.2 degrees, average temperature has risen by 1.4 degrees and minimum temperatures risen by 1.6 degrees. The average freeze free period has climbed by 8 degrees while the frequency of freezing days has dropped by 15.7 days. Frequency of 100 degree days has climbed by 2.6 days and average annual snowfall has dropped by 4.1 inches.