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Climate Change Is Making ‘Best Time To Visit’ Vacation Planning Obsolete 

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Planning the perfect vacation is dependent on a lot of specific factors. Besides the location, one must take into consideration the time of year, tourist opportunities, and weather conditions. Many people research the “best time to visit” their destination to ensure they get the most out of their travel experience. 

However, in today’s world, many people are facing climate-driven disruptions when it comes to planning their vacations. Summers are extremely hot, winters are extremely cold, and the seasons in between are just as unpredictable when it comes to weather events and how it will impact a multitude of destinations. 

Australia, for example, recorded the hottest March on record this year and Japan’s famous cherry blossom season saw the beautiful trees blooming earlier than ever this year. 

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“The planet’s warming since around 1980 is making heatwaves, droughts and floods more frequent and severe. All three of these are most common during summer, when travel peaks,” said Jonathan Erdman, senior meteorologist at The Weather Company‘s weather.com, to the BBC. 

“Extremely wet and dry periods can happen any time of year – including shoulder season – if the weather pattern gets stuck for a while.”

One of the most traditional ways that travelers plan their trips is looking into the “best time to visit” their destination. The term refers to the peak travel seasons of particular locations, and often will be the times where the weather is nice, there’s easy access to tourist experiences, and fewer crowds in more popular destinations. 

Travel agents have stated their struggle to help their clientele find these ideal times because of how unpredictable the world is now. For example, Juliana Shrestha, co-founder of Duluwa Outdoors, a female-led Nepal-based company that provides educational outdoor experiences, said inconsistency in weather is a major challenge. 

“Earlier, when clients asked for a snow trek in December, we could suggest options like Annapurna Base Camp, but now, it’s harder to say confidently whether conditions will be right. We just don’t know anymore,” she said to the BBC.

Reports also show that even short-term weather predictions are less dependable due to the current state of climate change, according to Stanford research.  

“When it comes to critical details like current weather conditions, or even basic advice like ‘bring a mask because of the pollution’, they either don’t know or don’t think it’s necessary to share,” Sherestha said.

Shrestha also discussed how within the industry, a lot of agencies omit climate realities which leave their clients unprepared for potential weather events and can ruin a lot of experiences. 

“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to make money, but are you treating customers like numbers, or are you guiding them into a thoughtfully curated experience, with transparency?”

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“[Some agencies] don’t build an idea of a place based on reality, but an idealized version, and it doesn’t get updated,” said Laura Hall, a travel writer and journalist.

Hall continued to explain that some of the “idealized versions” stem from an avoidance to accept that there are now travel experiences that aren’t the same as they used to be. Social media creates an even greater unrealistic picture of many of the world’s most famous sites, and since most people book their trips months, or even years, in advance, timing can also make it difficult. 

“It’s unlikely you’ll be scrolling through news articles while booking and stumble upon a warning that it’s going to be over 40C,” Hall said. 

Shrestha said that the industry needs to adopt empathy and the ability to adapt in order to give their clients the best vacation possible. Tour operators should prepare travelers of potential disruptions on their trips by recommending what to pack for unpredictable weather. 

Additionally, they need to set realistic expectations and encourage the purchase of travel insurance with backup plans should itineraries fall through. Shrestha also said that for Duluwa Outdoors specifically, they rely on the local’s expertise and ensure all of their guides have visited the sites they recommend at a recent time. 

“While we can’t predict exact conditions at the time of booking, this helps us give real-time updates closer to the trip. We don’t believe in blanket answers like, ‘September is the best time,'” says Shrestha. 

Susanne Etti, a global environmental impact manager at Inrepid Travel, told the BBC that with extreme weather on the rise more travelers are utilizing what’s known as “shoulder season trips.” 

“We’re seeing this trend really take off in Europe, with global bookings for some of our top summer spots, like Italy, Spain and Portugal, shifting to spring and autumn.” 

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, extreme weather disruptions are only going to get worse as time goes on, even if “global warming stays within 1.5C.”

“This reality gives us a real chance to rethink how we design trips, stay agile and build a future for tourism that’s genuinely better,” Etti says. 

“A future where destinations can grow sustainably and actually offer travellers a richer, more meaningful experience than they do now.”

snow

More Than 950,000 Households Without Power After Winter Storm

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A powerful winter storm is sweeping across the United States this week, pummeling areas from Southern California to the Northeast with bitter cold and snowstorms. As of Thursday morning, around 990,000 households across the country were without power, and more than 1,700 flights have been canceled.

On Wednesday, the storm system unleashed powerful winds, heavy snow, freezing rain and frigid temperatures onto much of the Midwest, damaging powerlines and leaving hundreds of thousands in the dark.

The National Weather Service in Los Angeles issued a winter storm warning for the mountains of Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties until early Friday. A rare blizzard warning is in effect for the same areas from Friday through Saturday, cautioning people of wind gusts of up to 80 mph, near zero visibility and heavy snow.

It has been decades since the Los Angeles National Weather Service office issued a blizzard warning, with the last one being issued in 1989. Forecasters predict up to 7 feet of snow in areas more than 6,000 feet above sea level and 1-4 inches in elevations less than 2,500 feet. Areas along the coast and valleys could see a few inches of rain.

The Los Angeles Weather Service tweeted that the growing storm was “cold and dangerous” earlier this week.

“Now is the time to prepare for a COLD AND DANGEROUS winter storm expected for much of the week. Several FEET of snow is expected in the mountains with a few inches possible as low as 1000 feet. Gusty and potentially damaging winds are also expected.”

As of Thursday morning, the forecast remains the same.

“We are still on track for our DANGEROUS winter storm. Expect blizzard conditions in the mountains with FEET of snowfall. A few inches of rain are expected in lower elevations. Be weather ready!”

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Andrew Rorke, a senior forecaster for the Los Angeles National Weather Service, said the storm would be “a snowmaker of the likes we have not seen for many years.”

David Sweet, a meteorologist at National Weather Service’s Oxnard office, said that between late Thursday and early Saturday, the area was “looking at a storm delivering more snow than any other storm in recent decades.” The “cold core” of the storm will center in on Los Angeles on Saturday.

“It’s going to be a wild and woolly kind of day — the lightning, the thunder, the hail, the graupel. No one is going to be spared.”

More than 41,000 people were without power on Thursday morning across the state. The powerful winds have already downed trees and damaged roofs.

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services advised Californians on how to prepare for the growing storm. Instructions include preparing a go-bag containing important documents, cash, medications, food, water, clothing and pet supplies. The office also advised people not to use a gas stove or oven to heat their homes.

On Wednesday, meteorologists in the Midwest reported that heavy snow and strong winds originating in the Northern Rockies were making their way east across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest. Blizzard warnings were in place for people living near the Twin Cities and across large portions of Minnesota and the Dakotas.

Hundreds of schools canceled classes on Thursday in Minneapolis. In Michigan, Grand Rapid Public Schools canceled class for the second day.

By Thursday morning, 900,000 households were without power across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin, with 772,000 of those outages being in Michigan.

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The National Weather Service Twin Cities tweeted that the storm was starting to wind down, with most nearby areas receiving about a foot of snow.

“Thankfully, this storm didn’t produce the amounts it had the potential to, but it still produced a lot, and combined with the windy conditions it is simply not safe to travel right now. Many roads remain completely snow-covered and in some cases closed. Stay safe out there!”

Parts of the Northeast also experienced snowstorms and flat ice accumulation this week. A winter watch is in effect for parts of Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont.

Snow totaling up to a foot is likely in areas of high elevation like the Adirondacks and the Green and White Mountains. Lower elevation areas, like upstate New York and central New England, will receive up to 4 inches.

Governor Kathy Hochul issued a statement cautioning, “New Yorkers in impacted regions should take action now to prepare for the incoming snow and ice, as power outages and hazardous travel are a concern this week.”

As of Thursday morning, 22,000 households across New York do not have power.

Rising Sea Level

Rising Sea Levels Pose Greater Threat to Cities Than Previously Thought

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Scientists have known for some time that global warming will lead to the melting of the ice caps, and in turn the rising of sea levels, threatening coastal cities. But scientists have disagreed over the timing and the extent of the impact of rising sea levels. New research, however, suggests that three times more people than previously thought could be affected by rising sea levels by 2050. The research was conducted by Climate Central, which is based in New Jersey, and was published in Nature Communications.

The new research, which uses advanced techniques based on satellite readings of land elevation, shows that previous predictions about the scope of rising sea levels were too optimistic. According to the new research, 150 million people currently live in areas that by 2050 will be below the high-tide line. Southern Vietnam, for instance, is at risk of disappearing almost entirely. Ho Chi Minh City, the nation’s economic center, could collapse.

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Another country predicted to be strongly impacted by rising sea levels is Thailand, where the city of Bangkok is expected to be all but underwater in 2050. More than 10 percent of Thai residents live on land that will experience inundation in 2050, as do a quarter of Vietnamese residents, totaling more than 20 million people in those two countries alone.

Rising sea levels are expected to affect even those people who do not live in areas prone to flooding, as inundation of economic centers will have a drastic impact on the places that people work and live. Many of the world’s cities developed on coasts, putting them at particular risk for the effects of rising sea levels. Shanghai, for instance, is under direct threat of being consumed by water, as is much of the surrounding area. Mumbai, India’s financial capital and one of the world’s largest cities, is at high risk, as is the ancient city of Alexandria.

Also at risk are places where few people live, but have great historical significance, as they contain artifacts created by humans who lived centuries ago.

While the reality of rising sea levels is all but confirmed, there are measures that cities can take to combat the effects of climate change. Already, 110 million people live in places below the high tide line, as seawalls and other barriers prevent flooding. In order to combat this particular threat of climate change, many of the world’s cities previously unaffected by flooding will have to invest in technologies like seawalls in order to survive the end of the 21st century. As these massive infrastructure projects can be costly and take a long time to complete, particularly vulnerable cities would be wise to make such investments as soon as possible.

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That being said, protective measures can only go so far and are prone to human error, as infamously occurred in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Also at risk are places where few people live, but have great historical significance, as they contain artifacts created by humans who lived centuries ago. Unfortunately, these places are the least likely to be shielded by the effects of rising sea levels over the rest of this century, as the cost of doing so is great and offers little economic return.

Rising sea levels, of course, are not the only effects of climate change. Another major environmental consideration for cities as time progresses is the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, which pose a threat to both infrastructure and human life. Already, these effects are felt in the form of unprecedented, raging wildfires in California, which many experts believe to be exacerbated by the effects of climate change. Additionally, climate change has increased the intensity of hurricanes and other storms, as in the case of Hurricane Dorian, which devastated the Bahamas. While the reality of anthropogenic climate change is not in dispute among reputable scientists, ongoing research continues to reveal the various ways in which climate change affects and will continue to affect human life, oftentimes revealing that the impact will be more severe than previously thought.