[Verse 1]
Some summer showed
A bit too soon
Should have known
Might wanna wait
For spring flowers to bloom
[Chorus]
Forgot it’s not
Summer yet
Yet, it’s so hot
Wanna bet
[Break]
This can’t go on
For long (no, not for long)
It’s wrong, wrong, wrong
(so wrong, so long)
[Instrumental, Guitar Solo, Drum Fills]
[Verse 2]
More summertime
It’s way too soon
Man’s greatest crime
A little too late
Foreboding does loom
[Chorus]
Forgot it’s not
Summer yet
Yet, it’s so hot
Wanna bet
[Break]
This can’t go on
For long (no, not for long)
It’s wrong, wrong, wrong
(so wrong, so long)
[Instrumental, Saxophone Solo, Bass]
[Bridge]
Atmosphere rearranges
Jet stream changes
Blocking pattern position
Primate climate mission
Heat accumulation
Saturation
[Chorus]
Forgot it’s not
Summer yet
Yet, it’s so hot
Wanna bet
[Break]
This can’t go on
For long (no, not for long)
It’s wrong, wrong, wrong
(so wrong, so long)
[Outro]
This can’t go on
For long (no, not for long)
It’s wrong, wrong, wrong
(so wrong, so long)
A SCIENCE NOTE
Climate change is causing summer-like weather to start earlier in the year through several interconnected mechanisms related to the overall warming of the Earth’s climate system. Here are the key factors contributing to this phenomenon:
1. Rising Global Temperatures:
- Increased Greenhouse Gases: The accumulation of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O) in the atmosphere traps more heat, leading to a rise in global temperatures.
- Warmer Springs: As average global temperatures increase, the transition from winter to spring becomes warmer, causing spring temperatures to resemble those typically associated with early summer.
2. Changes in Seasonal Patterns:
- Shifted Seasons: The warming climate is causing shifts in the timing of seasons. Spring arrives earlier and lasts longer, effectively extending the warm period of the year and bringing summer-like conditions sooner.
- Earlier Plant Phenology: Plants and trees are budding and blooming earlier in response to warmer temperatures, indicating the earlier onset of spring-like conditions that can quickly transition to summer-like weather.
3. Altered Atmospheric Circulation:
- Jet Stream Changes: The jet stream, which is influenced by the temperature gradient between the equator and the poles, can become more wavy and less stable due to Arctic warming. This can lead to prolonged periods of warm weather in certain regions, contributing to an earlier start to summer-like conditions.
- Blocking Patterns: High-pressure systems, known as blocking patterns, can become more common and persistent with climate change, leading to extended periods of clear skies and warm temperatures.
4. Heat Accumulation in Oceans and Land:
- Ocean Heat Content: The world’s oceans have absorbed a significant amount of the excess heat from global warming. This stored heat is gradually released, influencing coastal and nearby inland temperatures and contributing to earlier warm weather.
- Land Surface Warming: Land surfaces, especially those with low moisture content, can heat up quickly. Reduced snow cover and earlier snowmelt due to warming temperatures also contribute to earlier warming of the land surface.
5. Feedback Mechanisms:
- Snow and Ice Melt: Reduced snow and ice cover decrease the Earth’s albedo (reflectivity), causing more solar energy to be absorbed by the surface rather than reflected back into space. This accelerates warming and leads to earlier onset of warm weather.
- Soil Moisture Reduction: Warmer temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns can reduce soil moisture, which in turn allows the land to heat up more quickly, leading to earlier and more intense summer-like conditions.
6. Human Activities:
- Urban Heat Island Effect: Urban areas tend to be warmer than their rural surroundings due to human activities, buildings, and infrastructure. This effect can amplify early warming trends in cities, contributing to an earlier start of summer-like weather.
Scientific Observations and Models:
- Empirical Data: Observations and temperature records indicate a trend towards earlier onset of warm weather. This includes earlier spring thaws, longer growing seasons, and higher spring and early summer temperatures.
- Climate Models: Climate models project that, as global temperatures continue to rise, the trend of earlier and warmer springs will persist, leading to more frequent and intense early summer-like weather conditions.
The combination of rising global temperatures, altered seasonal patterns, changes in atmospheric circulation, heat accumulation in oceans and land, and various feedback mechanisms are causing summer-like weather to start earlier in the year. These changes are consistent with the broader impacts of climate change on the Earth’s climate system.