It's the coldest winter since 1970.

While there definitely is global warming, it can only be judged as a long term problem. Using one year's statistics proves nothing.

I wonder just how quickly the remaining soil moisture there will fade and be replaced by severe, extreme, or exceptional drought? The Red River valley dried out quickly in September and October and a very warm winter and spring could make this growing season ugly not just there but through much of the Great Plains, if the rest of it experienced conditions similar to those the Dakotas saw this fall.

It would be interesting to see Missouri River basin politicians backpedal on comments they were making just two or three months ago about their preference for the Corps to focus solely on flood control, and to flush as much water downstream as possible so as to increase flood storage on the mainstem reservoirs in Montana and the Dakotas. It would also be interesting to see just how much tile drainage of grain fields has diminished water storage on a landscape scale.

If you're from AK, I apologize.

even tho at the moment we're enjoying a cold snap here in Atlanta.

However, I think we're going to have an early spring. My dog -- the one who more molts than sheds -- suddenly is sporting huuuuuge tufts of fur ready to fly off him in a breeze, or get rubbed off when he rolls around on the ground. Just seems a little early for that, and there've been other signs that made me think Spring would be early.

No… unfortunately. A lack of information is not the problem.

A denier will likely point out that while January of 2012 was relatively warm, it was cooler than January of 2006, January of 1990 & January of 1953:
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/temp-and-precip/time-series/index.php?parameter=tmp&month=1&year=2012&filter=1&state=110&div=0