At some point, an effect that persists and repeats over an extended period of time ceases to be anomalous and becomes the new normal. We are at (really, well p

At some point, an effect that persists and repeats over an extended period of time ceases to be anomalous and becomes the new normal. We are at (really, well past) that point with hot, dry weather in the West. One could even argue that the hot West/cool East pattern as a whole has become the new normal. Dismissing it as normal variation just means you haven't yet understood a causal link with anything else. There's no shame in not knowing how something works, especially something that is both complex and chaotic. There is, however, shame in asserting that you do when you don't. The author cannot (or at least does not) explain the root cause of this pattern; therefore he cannot know whether its increased prevalence is ultimately anthropogenic or not. The smart money is on the humans here, but what really matters is figuring it out, not making unsubstantiated assertions as to what it is or isn't.