Weather: Confusing Stuff

What a day!

I had some difficulty falling asleep last night with the rain still hitting the metal roof of the Bolt Hole. It was shortly after midnight that I finally dozed off only to be awakened again at quarter past six when the alarm went off. I thought it was still raining but it turned out to be just the rustling of the aspen leaves in the slight breeze.

I got myself dressed and the bedroom squared away before making my way downstairs to brew a fresh pot of coffee and check out the weather on the computer. As the coffee brewed, I brought up weather.com for the area: "slight chance of AM showers," it said; "30% chance," it said. And the radar screen showed no rain between the Bolt Hole and the Aerie despite the gloomy, overcast skies I could see when I looked out the window.

What the hey! I said as I filled the thermos with coffee and threw my laundry, computer, clothes and garbage into the back of the Tundra. Backed over to the utility trailer and hitched the two together before driving the ATV up onto the trailer and lashing it down.

I was on the road by 8 AM.

Things went smoothly as I drove down to the NYS Thruway and headed west. Around Syracuse I did run into a very slight mist...about what you might get if you used an atomizer...but the sky still looked threatening.

Made my way all to the way to the Weedsport exit where I took Route 34 south toward Auburn. Moments after I paid my tool and started south it started raining. And, as I followed 34 to US 20 west and then 414 south...all the way to Corning, NY, it continued to rain--quite hard at times. I was wondering where in heck it had been hiding during the early morning radar scans? Did it lurk in the Finger Lakes (notably Lake Seneca) like some freakish monster? Did it hide in the hills of the Southern Tier? Or did Igor send it inland from the east?

The radar had indicated there was some rain east of the Poconos, but I had dismissed that since all of yesterday's weather had come from the southwest, not the southeast. Aaahh! But that was yesterday! I checked the flags at post offices, pennants at car dealerships and wineries and sure enough, the wind was coming from the northeast! As often happens when a front passes through the wind had shifted 180 degrees. And with that shift, came the rains from the northeast.

It rained until I got to Corning, as I said, and then stopped. While it was still overcast and gloomy, there was no more rain as I entered Pennsylvania and drove into the realm of the Northern Tier and found my way to the Aerie.

Man, ya gotta love the weather in the Northeast! And if you don't, just wait a bit and ole Ma Nature will dish up some new variety that may be to your liking.

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In December of 1876 Samuel Clemens gave a speech at the annual dinner of the New England Society held in New York City. His theme was the variety and fickle nature of the New England weather. Since he was a long time resident (and still is!) of Elmira, New York a short distance away, I'd like to think he would have included the Finger Lakes and Northern and Southern Tier weather as part and parcel of "New England weather." It certainly fits his descriptions!

If you haven't done so yet, click on the link above or go HERE to read the text of Clemens' speech.

(You might have to scroll down past the list of folks who attended before you get to the relevant parts of the article. back then the Times figured it could sell more newspapers if it put the names of as many people as possible on its pages. Today they rely on anonymous sources and their circulation is in the tank. Coincidence?)

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IKn a related item, The News Junkie has a post at Maggie's Farm titled: "Why not call it 'Weather'?" in which there is a discussion of the White House's attempt to change "Global Warming" to "Climate Disruption" as reported by Fox News.

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Oh, and it snowed in Montana Friday, September 17th.

Like the Junkie, I love "Climate Disruption". The more violent the better. (At least as long as I and my loved ones are somewhere relatively safe! I'm no storm chaser! Although 30 years ago....)