Canaries in a coalmine

It's mid-January, and I've just been rock climbing. That's kind of like saying "I'm in the Sahara and just back from a spot of skiing". You would normally expect even in southern Finland for temperatures to be well below freezing now, for all the lakes to have walkable ice on them, and for at least some snow. Instead it's muddy and the South West half of the country is snowless. Is this the shape of things to come?

Birch buds

These are the buds on a birch bush trying to come into leaf about three months too early. My friend who I was climbing with said he had heard on the news that in Eastern Finland bears are waking up from hibernation because it is so warm.

Tony's first aid route

El Cap, here we come!

Not right at all. Tony climbs "Heroes in Heaven" 5+, in January, in Finland.

The forecast suggests that this coming week that temperatures might be below freezing enough for some ice to form by next weekend, but who knows. At least in the south they are suggesting that it might go above freezing again towards the end of the week. Last years winter broke all records by being so short, but at least for six weeks it did get really cold, even if that was it. But so far, this year is looking it could turn out to be not only short, but warm as well. WTF is happening to the weather?

Fingers crossed for a good blast of arctic air.