La Niña may bring cool spring

Planet Earth has certainly become more active in recent weeks. There have been a number of volcanic eruptions and moderate earthquakes.

Last week, the Chaiten Volcano in southern Chile erupted again. It had been dormant for more than 9,300 years until May 2008, when Chaiten blasted huge amounts of ash some 20 miles (30 kilometers) in the upper stratosphere at elevations approaching 110,000 feet. This eruption was smaller, but evacuations were ordered in the town of Chaiten as lava traveled down the slopes of the volcano. Experts are also concerned about another major explosion at any time.

Another volcano in southwestern Colombia erupted twice in less than a week, with the latest event last Friday morning. About 8,000 people near the region had to evacuate.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Geological Survey warned nearby residents that the Mount Redoubt volcano, 110 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska, could erupt at any time. Residents have been advised to protect themselves against “a dusty downpour of volcanic ash.”

Along with the eruptions, a moderate quake struck between Indonesia and the Philippines last week. Another earth-shaker hit the Himalayan region of Kashmir. Fortunately, there were no major injuries associated with either quake.

Last December, scientists were concerned about the earthquake swarms at Yellowstone National Park. That region is home to one of the largest super volcanoes in the world. A volcanic explosion at Yellowstone would send up so much dust and ash into our atmosphere, the sun would be blocked out and our planet would cool drastically. Fortunately, most scientists say that no eruption is foreseen anytime soon.

However, we could see a degree or two drop in Earth’s temperature if another eruption occurs similar to Mount Pinatubo’s blast in June of 1991. After that event, global temperatures dropped about a degree the following year.

As far as local weather, our chilly winter season continues to be colder than normal. With the below normal sea-surface temperature event in the south-central Pacific Ocean, La Niña, and the low sunspot activity, we may be setting up for a cool and wet spring season.

Between now and early March, I expect to see more rain and snow in our region. It’s still possible that we could challenge the all-time seasonal snowfall record of 93.5 inches, but the chances are decreasing with each passing day.

Next week, I’ll have a more detailed spring forecast.