NO SIGN OF GLOBAL WARMING IN THE USA

NYTIMES: New England Is Celebrating Season Filled With Snow

BOSTON — After an absence, a white Christmas will be a reality and not a dream this year in northern New England, elating skiers and people whose livelihood depends on snow.

“We couldn’t be happier,” said Eric Friedman, a spokesman for the Mad River Glen ski cooperative in Waitsfield, Vt., which reported receiving about six feet of snow. “This is like the best Christmas present we ever could have gotten. The old-timers who have seen it all have far and away said this is the best December they remember.”

The snow has been a particular relief to snowmobilers and the businesses that depend on them. For the past two Decembers, trails have been a muddy, rocky mess. Last year, the season did not really start until mid-February.

“This is the earliest season we’ve had in about five years, and it’s cold and staying with us,” said Heather Davis, who operates the Cozy Moose Cabins and rents snowmobiles in Greenville, Me. “We have more snow now than we have in the last two years combined.”

Parker Riehle, president of the Vermont Ski Areas Association, said all of that state’s resorts are expected to be open by New Year’s Day. He described the situation as unprecedented.

“This couldn’t be a better start to the season,” Mr. Riehle said.

Ski resorts are hoping that the strong start will give resorts enough momentum and a firm foundation of snow to last them through the winter.

To understand the difference, consider recent snow totals posted in Burlington, Vt. It has received 34 inches of snow so far in December, compared with 10 inches during that month in 2006, 18.4 inches in 2005 and 22.8 inches in 2004. The average for the month is 15.7 inches.

In Maine and northern New Hampshire, snowfall is about 20 inches above normal, said Butch Roberts, a forecaster at the National Weather Service in Gray, Me. “It just makes everybody happy who wants to participate in winter sports,” Mr. Roberts said.

Sunday River ski resort in Bethel, Me., is having its best December in terms of snow and traffic since 1995, said a spokesman, Alex Kaufman.

BBC: Snow storms in US claim 14 lives

A man walking through the snow in Kansas, 22 December 2007 Snow storms in the central US have left at least 14 people dead and tens of thousands without electricity, the Associated Press news agency reports.

Hundreds of accidents were reported as far south as Texas, where there was a 50-vehicle motorway pile-up.

The storm has also felled trees and power lines and caused the cancellation of hundreds of flights.

More heavy snow has been forecast as the storms move into the Great Lakes region bordering Canada.

"I know it's the holidays but we hope people use some common sense when travelling" Sgt Chad Breuer - Grant County Sheriff's Dept, Wisconsin

The US National Weather Service has issued several heavy snow and winter storm warnings.

Among others, north-central Idaho, western Montana, and western and north-east Wyoming were expected to suffer fresh falls of snow and freezing rain on Monday.

'Miserable Christmas'

Officials reinforced their warnings to people to stay at home.

"I know it's the holidays but we hope people use some common sense when travelling," said Sergeant Chad Breuer in Wisconsin.

"There are a lot of people saying: 'Ill just leave that much earlier,' but still the roads are not favourable for travelling."

Multiple vehicle pile-ups closed major highways in the central states over the weekend.

In Minnesota alone, there were more than 300 road accidents and three deaths.

See map of weather warnings

At least nine people died in accidents in Wyoming, Indiana, and Wisconsin and deaths were also reported in Texas and Kansas.

The fatality in Texas came in a pile-up on Interstate 40.

At least 16 people were taken to hospital, two with life-threatening injuries.

Many in the pile-up were holidaymakers, including families with small children not dressed for the weather, police said.

Winter storm warnings for parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan were being lifted on Monday.

But the authorities said this did not mean safer roads - with interstate routes still icy and rural roads even more dangerous.

The BBC's Matthew Price in the US says Americans expect bad weather at this time of year and the country has the resources to cope.

But for some the fierce winter is making it a miserable Christmas, our correspondent adds.

• IF THE GLOBE WAS WARMING BECAUSE OF INCREASES IN MAN-MADE CO2 THEN THIS WOULD NOT BE HAPPENING.
• AGW = BS.