What Global Warming?

It's January 27, 2006 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It's 46 degrees. The skateboarders are outside my office, some of them in their shirtsleeves (and they are at least 20 years younger than I am, but that's another story). Now, I know this is all relative. If you live in Los Angeles, say, the thought of skateboarding at all in 46 degree weather, let alone in your shirtsleeves, is bone-shivering. But we are a hearty people, and all we really need is good surface conditions to get out our bicycles, motorcycles, skateboards, and rollerblades. This, I love. It can be ten degrees outside, and you still have to "Start Seeing Motorcycles" and watch for bicyclists. That is not my point right now. It's January 27. It's 46 degrees. There are skateboarders. There is no snow.

I know that this alone, this Friday weather, this January warm-up, this freak of winter is not, by itself, Global Warming. The record was 47 degrees in 1934. But the average temp for this time of year is 23. And this warm -up has been going on a few days, weather in the high 30's, low 40's, and looks like it is going to continue. It might rain tonight, for crying out loud. Rain. Not freezing rain. Rain.

By Minnesota Standards, passive-aggressive as they usually are, this is a heat wave. All those maxims about weather-inappropriate clothing denoting craziness go right out the window when it is 46 in January in Minnesota. Shorts. Shirt sleeves. That guy on the bus wearing pajama pants and an open, fuzzy green parka with tennis shoes and no socks might NOT be crazy. It's that warm. Ignore that he is smiling and nodding at everyone who boards while muttering to himself. It could be spring fever.

Of course, for all of February, it will probably be one degree.

And that one degree will be divided over the course of the entire 28 days.

One degree.

That's all you get.

Dole it out as you see fit.