What would happen if?

[crf450ish]

What would happen if winters became what they were in the 60s, 70s and early 80s? Would school be cancelled all winter? 

 

What would happen if winters became what they were in the 60s, 70s and early 80s? Would businesses close down during winter?

 

What would happen if winters became what they were in the 60s, 70s and early 80s?  Would public transportation cease to exist till' winter was over? 

 

What would happen if winters became what they were in the 60s, 70s and early 80s? Would people figure out a way to adapt, improvise and overcome and subsequently go about their lives? 

 

I ask these questions from the standpoint of the elders I've had many a conversation with over the years. They've all told me that when they were young, the snow was inevitable and that people just dealt with it on a day to day basis. School was rarely cancelled. Businesses stayed open. 

 

Over time people have become weak and scared, unable to quickly adapt to curve balls that mother nature throws at them. They simply wait things out. I don't blame them, that's the easy way to go about life. 

 

 

My question is a simple one. What the heck do you think would happen if mother nature decided to return to her roots? Would public schools snap into action? Would local governments adapt quickly? Or would it take years of successive extreme winter weather for people to realize this is the new normal? 

 

 

My answer is in the last sentence above. 

 

[BLI snowman]

I think we'd have to  go back at least to late 19th century winters to widely expose some issues with our modern infrastructure and routines, at least in the PNW lowlands.

The late 20th century was certainly a bit colder than today, but with rare exceptions (1968-69, 1978-79) not by enough to dramatically alter our normal routines for long periods of time.

That being said, humans adapt. If the climate warms or cools a couple degrees in the next century... we will manage.

[Anti Marine Layer]

3 hours ago, BLI snowman said:

I think we'd have to  go back at least to late 19th century winters to widely expose some issues with our modern infrastructure and routines, at least in the PNW lowlands.

The late 20th century was certainly a bit colder than today, but with rare exceptions (1968-69, 1978-79) not by enough to dramatically alter our normal routines for long periods of time.

That being said, humans adapt. If the climate warms or cools a couple degrees in the next century... we will manage.

Climate change alarmists say no

[crf450ish]

8 hours ago, BLI snowman said:

I think we'd have to  go back at least to late 19th century winters to widely expose some issues with our modern infrastructure and routines, at least in the PNW lowlands.

The late 20th century was certainly a bit colder than today, but with rare exceptions (1968-69, 1978-79) not by enough to dramatically alter our normal routines for long periods of time.

That being said, humans adapt. If the climate warms or cools a couple degrees in the next century... we will manage.

I agree that humans adapt. It's the length of time it takes us to adapt is what I'm questioning. A great example is the school district my kids attend now here in western Washington.... School is two hours late if there's even a hint of slick roads and cancelled if one snowflake flies. When we lived in Eastern Wa, the bus came to pick the kids up with chains on... 

 

My dad is 65 years old and grew up in Puyallup. He's said multiple times that the buses used to be chained up and school was rarely cancelled when he was a kid. 

 

I guess my point is, how many successive extreme winters would it take for things to go back to what they used to be? I know I'm using the school thing as my main example, but many other little things in life would be forced to adapt to the winters in short order?