Global Warming To Put Nation In Deep Freeze This Week; An Extended Period Of Cold Weather That Hasn't Been Seen Since The 1990s (Reminder: Global Warming Stopped 18 Years Ago -- 1995); California's Great White Sharks Lovin' The Warmer Water

It's being reported everywhere (except in The New York Times). From AccuWeather. From Helena, Montana, the byline: this will definitely impact the Bakken. If nothing else, roughnecks will be at Home of Economy picking up Carthartt parks/overalls.

Areas of Montana and the Dakotas were forecast to reach lows in the minus-20s, while parts of California could see the thermometer drop to the 20s. The icy arctic blast was expected to be followed by another one later in the week, creating an extended period of cold weather that hasn't been seen since the late 1990s, meteorologists said.

Oh, about that headline ... "global warming stopped 18 years ago ..." That is pulled directly from the most recent UN report. From FoxNews, posted September 30, 2013:

Since 1998, there has been no significant increase in global average surface temperature, and some areas -- notably the Northern Hemisphere -- have actually cooled. The 2,200-page new Technical Report attributes that to a combination of several factors, including natural variability, reduced heating from the sun and the ocean acting like a “heat sink” to suck up extra warmth in the atmosphere.

Oh, really?

I believe there is one island in the entire world with any significant number of people that might actually note the ocean rising. 18 millimeters.

On the other hand, it appears the real winners of this warmer water (as suggested by the UN report) are the great white whales. Again, I cannot make this stuff up. The Los Angeles Times is reporting:

Researchers are still trying to determine why the young sharks have been drawn to the El Porto area — perhaps warmer temperatures or a larger feeding pool. Through tagging and other monitoring methods, researchers hope to have more of an answer by next year.

But one thing is clear: Experts have noticed an increase in shark sightings off beaches in Manhattan, Redondo and Ventura over the last few years. That may be alarming for some, but it's a welcome development for wildlife researchers who say it's a sign of a healthy rebound for marine life after California legislators prohibited the use of gill nets for fishing in 1990.