Sun Spots May Be Villain in Winter's Freakish Weather

Sun spots may be a cause of unseasonably warm weather in the northeastern United States and freakish cold waves sweeping the West, Charles F. Brooks '12, Director of the University's Blue Hill Observatory, told the CRIMSON last night.

"Of course we have a tendency to blame sun spots whenever we're not sure what the fundamental causes of abnormal weather are," Brooks remarked, "but we're fairly sure that weather goes to extremes during periods of strong' sun activity.

"The earth gets more energy during these periods to stimulate atmospheric movements and these cause severe weather."

Westward Movement

Brooks said severe winters have been moving west in the past three years. In 1947 England had a bitter winter; last year the northeastern United States was hit by a series of heavy snow storms; and this year parts of the west have been virtually paralyzed by blizzards. "The westward motion may be just a coincidence but it will be interesting to watch next year," Brooks said.

Warm southerly winds from the vicinity of Bermuda, theoretically caused by the sun spots, and bare ground in much of the New England area are the direct causes of the balmy weather here, Brooks explained. "If there were snow on the ground it would reflect the sun's rays but since the ground has been largely bare this winter it tends to absorb heat from the sun."