Florida Today from Cocoa, Florida • Page A8

8A FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2014 FLORIDA TODAY NATION Winters aren't colder; we're just softer Scientists: Deep freeze created hoopla because it rarely happens these days from Jan. 13, 1997, to Monday. In the past 115 years, there have been 58 days when the national average temperature dropped below 18. Carbin said those occurrences often happen in periods that last several days so it makes more sense to talk about cold outbreaks instead of cold days, and there have been 27 distinct cold snaps. Between 1970 and 1989, a dozen such events occurred, but there were only two in the 1990s and then none until Monday.

"These types of events have actually become more infrequent than they were in the past," said Car-bin, who works at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla. "This is treme (cold) outbreaks in a planet that's warming." And Monday's breathtaking chill? It was merely the 55th coldest day averaged for the continental United States since 1900. The coldest day for the Lower 48 since 1900 as calculated by the computer models was 12 degrees on Christmas Eve 1983, nearly 6 degrees chillier than Monday. There have been far more unusually warm winter days in the U.S. than unusually cold ones.

Since Jan. 1, 2000, only two days have ranked in the top 100 coldest: Monday and Tuesday. But there have been 13 in the top 100 warmest winter days. When computer models estimated that the national average daily temperature for the Lower 48 states dropped to 17.9 degrees on Monday, it was the first deep freeze of that magnitude in 17 years, according to Greg Carbin, warning meteorologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Long time coming That is by far the longest the U.S.

has gone without the national average plunging below 18 degrees, according to a database of daytime winter temperatures spanning By Seth Borenstein Associated Press WASHINGTON We've become weather wimps. As the world warms, the United States is getting fewer bitter cold spells like the one that gripped much of the nation this week. So when a deep freeze strikes, scientists say, it seems more unprecedented than it really is. An Associated Press analysis of the daily national winter temperature shows that cold extremes have happened about once every four years since 1900. Until recently.

Allan Umscheid, owner of Yards By Al, feels the bitter wind and catches drifting snow on his face Sunday. Scenes like this have become more rare in the continental U.S. ap why there was such a big buzz because people have such short memories." teorology director of the private firm Weather Underground: "It's become a lot harder to get these ex Said Jeff Masters, me mm mama IHiliSA And Still Get Guaranteed Lowest Prices! where send Get a NEW FLOOR and the FREE GIFT you really wanted: iPads, Kindles, Bose Speakers, Playstation 4, or a 42" 3D HD Ends Jan 31! Am 1988 The Onlv Floorina store in Brevard RatedJbvthe Better Business Bureau ADO VOW utt5 IfrflttWWflT Gifts vary with size of Purchase Previous Sales and Closeouls Excluded See Store for Details Dec 25-Jan 31, 2014 B3 Itefc Ammkm lips 1 Over Dealer Cost! Guaranteed Backed by the US Government.