A magnetic pole 'shift' may be causing our rash of 'super storms'

I've received a lot of phone calls and e-mails lately concerning the recent story by FOX News that our planet's magnetic pole is slowly, but steadily, heading towards Russia. Airlines in Florida, for example, have been "thrown off course" by this polar magnetic shift, still not fully understood by scientists.

Tampa International Airport was forced to 'readjust' its runways in mid-January to account for the movement of the Earth's magnetic fields. In fact, the primary runway in Tampa was closed for several days until taxiway signs could be changed to account for the magnetic pole shift.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the movement of the magnetic poles happens frequently due to radical shifts in the Earth's inner and outer cores. They are constantly "in flux," moving a few degrees every year. However, this was the first time that runways were forced to close in order to allow for adjusting.

The changes in these magnetic fields tend to vary from place to place. It's quite likely that other airports in the U.S., Canada, Europe and elsewhere will soon be forced to adjust their runways. Remember, airport towers must be "absolutely precise in their compass headings," again according to the FAA.

These magnetic pole changes also affect our planet's weather patterns. NASA has discovered 'cracks' in the earth's magnetic field that seem to be altering both wind and atmospheric pressure norms allowing for the recent SUPER STORMS around the world that have resulted in disastrous floods in Australia, Pakistan and the Philippines as well as RAGING BLIZZARDS east of the Rockies this winter of 2010-11 in the U.S. and parts of Europe. Wide temperature 'EXTREMES' are the most pronounced in at least 1,000 years, since the days of Leif Ericsson, the mighty Norse Chieftain.

I agree with many scientists that these super storms may get much worse as we head further into this second decade of the 21st century.

A new 'Little Ice Age' may already be starting, especially considering the fact that the magnetic north pole is shifting towards Russia at the rather alarming rate of 40 miles a year, a whopping increase of 800 percent from the normal of just 5 miles annually.

Some scientists believe that the recent 'bird die-offs' are directly related to the magnetic pole shifts. Birds, like planes, rely heavily upon dependable flight paths for their annual (seasonal) migrations. When these courses are suddenly changed, birds have been known to "fly straight into the ground," much like pilots when they don't trust their instruments.

If it happened, a complete magnetic pole shift could lead to wind velocities as high as 300 to 400 miles per hour, which would literally destroy anything that they came in contact with, both on land and sea.

But, don't panic yet! I seriously doubt that we'll see a complete magnetic pole reversal for at least 5,000 years. Such a major shift doesn't happen overnight.

I don't believe that these climate changes are part of some pre-ordained 2012 Mayan 'apocalypse.' We will survive, Lord willing, if these high winds don't blow the huge pine trees in my yard through the roof of our house. Our neighbors, the Johnsons, lost a tall Ponderosa just this past week, which narrowly missed their home on Trevino Drive. We have more than two dozen pine trees on our property close to our home on Player Drive. I guess that we're 'in harm's way.'

I 'say a little prayer' each time there's a forecast of high winds above 40 miles per hour. So far, we've been lucky. Again, Thank God.

Next week, I'll talk about 'Chandler's Wobble' and how it affects our weather patterns.

NORTH IDAHO WEATHER REVIEW AND LONG-RANGE OUTLOOKS

Our colder and snowier six-week cycle, that was due to arrive by the full moon of Feb. 18, is here. Winter has returned.

Temperatures in the near term should run about 10 degrees below normal. Daytime highs, that normally would be in the lower 40s, will hover in the lower 30s with overnight lows dipping into the upper teens and low to mid 20s by the time one reads this column.

We should pick up another 'foot' or more of snow between now and early to mid March. That would bring our current 83.2-inch total as of 10 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 17 for the 2010-11 winter season, up to near or above my long-predicted 92.4 inches for this season ending June 30.

It's still possible that we will again crack the magic 100-inch mark for total seasonal snowfall, if the last half of March and the first half of April turn out to be colder and snowier than normal for that particular 30-day period. This will be possible despite a weakening 'La Nina' in the Pacific Ocean waters.

If we do see 100 inches or more for the 2010-11 snowfall season, it would mark the first time since at least 1895 that we've seen the century mark topped three out of four winters. That's a ton of snow, folks.

The 'good news' is that I see warmer than normal temperatures and a bit less precipitation than usual during the spring period of late April into early June. In fact, we may see readings approaching 90 degrees by Memorial Day, May 30. Stay tuned. I'll have more details later.

Cliff Harris is a climatologist who writes a weekly column for The Press. His opinions are his own. E-mail sfharris@roadrunner.com