>This is a sure sign of global warming!

Well...it is actually the kind of change one might expect as
the good ole' heat pump we call "the ocean" enters a different
stable configuration. Remember that feedback systems are
extremely sensitive to initial conditions, and that the oceanic
currents fit the description. As currents shift, so will local
weather. The notion that "global warming" means that locales
will see their normal weather patterns simply moved to a context
of slightly higher average temperatures is probably the biggest
misunderstanding of the effects of higher global temperatures
out there.

- Don Baccus, Portland OR <donb at rational.com>