Don't worry, Bill, this Friday won't be 'the end of the world'

I've had dozens of people ask me in recent days to comment on the so-called Mayan prophecies concerning the 'End of the World' due to occur this Friday, Dec. 21, on the winter solstice.

I keep telling them to RELAX. Nothing earth-shaking, except for a few minor quakes, is going to happen.

In fact, Dec. 21 would be a great time for the White House and the GOP leaders to announce an agreement avoiding an economy-rattling 'fiscal cliff' plunge due to take place on Jan. 1, 2013, if no action is taken by Congress. All of our taxes will go up if they sit on their hands and do nothing as usual.

But, regardless of the economic issues, I agree with astrophysicist, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, and other prominent scientists that "the end of the world will not occur anytime soon," certainly not this Friday.

I don't see a major 'SOLAR FRENZY' wiping out our nation's critical electric grid in 2013, when a 'solar max' occurs on a regular 11.2-year cycle. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the upcoming peak in sunspot activity should be "a relatively mild one." Besides, satellite and electronic utilities have been given plenty of time to adjust their systems through regular "space weather warnings" from NASA.

In answering another question that I recently received from a Coeur d'Alene Press subscriber, I don't see an imminent 'flipping of the magnetic poles' despite the fact that the magnetic north pole has shifted more than 50 miles to the east since 2010.

The magnetic poles 'reverse' approximately every 400,000 years. It will take centuries for the completion of this slow north-to-south magnetic pole shift. As Dr. Tyson points out, "we don't see any connection whatsoever between magnetic pole shifts and extinction events in the geological records of this planet."

We can also quit worrying about the dire consequences of a renegade 'dwarf planet' slamming into the Earth in the near future. There is no planet named 'Nibiru.' It's a complete hoax, much like 'Jesus had a wife.'

There will undoubtedly be several asteroids, including the 2012 DA14 asteroid, due to slide by the Earth on Feb. 15, 2013, in next 20 years or so that will come relatively close to our planet, but will be 'near misses.'

Russian astronomers detected a comet this past September that will arrive later in 2013, but it likewise will miss us by at least 37 million miles. At worst, as Dr. Tyson says, it may provide "a great light show."

Also, I'm not worried about a JUMBO BLACK HOLE lining up this Dec. 21 with the sun and the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. It turns out that this happens every Dec. 21 on the winter solstice. I remember the book 'The Jupiter Effect' predicting the end of the world in 1982. It was another hoax. Need I say more?

What concerns me most at the end of 2012 are the worst weather EXTREMES in at least 1,000 years, since the days of Leif Ericsson.

Temperatures are at opposite ends of the mercurial scale, from the record cold this past month in Asia, Alaska and the Yukon to record warmth in the midsection of the U.S. and elsewhere around the world.

Drought patterns have intensified in recent years. The drought in the nation's heartland, which is still hanging on west of the Mississippi River, has been termed, "the worst since the Dust Bowl Era of the 1930s."

Newsweek Magazine, in its Dec. 17, 2012 issue, says that we are "already in a PASTA CRISIS" due to the lack of wheat and other grains. They went on to add, "a world without mac-and-cheese would be inconceivable to kids of all ages in the U.S. Italy may suffer a 'cultural heart attack.' Social unrest could explode in China, where noodles are the main staple in the diet."

I'm deeply concerned about the world's shrinking supplies of food, potable water and other natural resources. But, to answer my Christian friends, the end of the world is not yet at hand. Remember, 70 years ago, people thought that Adolf Hitler was the Anti-Christ. Only God the Father, Scripture tells us, knows the exact hour of Armageddon. I trust Him alone.

NORTH IDAHO WEATHER REVIEW AND LONG-RANGE OUTLOOKS

As of this drizzly Thursday morning, Dec. 13, we're still awaiting our first moderate to heavy snowfall across North Idaho of the 2012-13 winter season.

We've had some light 'dustings' of the white stuff in recent days, but most of the precipitation has arrived in the form of chilly rains below 2,500 feet. The ski resorts, however, have seen enough snow this month to open for business, but they would certainly like to see some nice powdery snow on the slopes in the next week or so before Christmas.

I agree with the National Weather Service's prediction of frequent snows, even at the lower elevations, during the next 10 days along with a bit colder temperatures. It's still possible that we will see at least 18 inches more snow between now and New Year's Eve in downtown Coeur d'Alene with upwards of 2 feet or more of the white stuff north and east of town.

As far as our record total precipitation for 2012 is concerned, we stood at 39.84 inches as of 10 a.m. on Thursday, easily topping the previous wet year since 1895 of 38.77 inches in the BIG ICE STORM year of 1996.

By New Year's Eve, our annual precipitation total for 2012 should approach 42 inches, the first time ever that Coeur d'Alene will have topped 40 inches of rainfall.

January and February, as things now stand, should be both a bit colder and snowier than usual in our part of the country due to colder than normal sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean regions and a strong flow of moisture out of the northwest from the Gulf of Alaska. I'll have more details next week on Christmas Eve Day, Dec. 24. Have a great week.

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