Column – Weather geeks: Information source or one of annoyance
Published 4:32 pm Tuesday, August 1, 2023
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They’re everywhere. You know one, or more, although it’s terrible when two or more get going. However, I have to admit, I’m a weather geek myself. They’re my tribe.
Weather geeks know what the dew point is at any given time, and what that means for humidity. If they were in the military, they would call it the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Humidity Index. They shun the term “feels like temperature,” or heat index.
They know what the barometric pressure is that day, and whether it’s rising or falling. Plus they know what high pressure systems do and how they act as well as low pressure areas. They know which spins clockwise and which rotate counterclockwise.
And fronts — cold fronts, warm fronts, stationary fronts and even back door fronts. What do they portend in the winter and how is that different from summer?
Need a tan? Ask a weather geek. It’s an easy way to find the UV index, plus you might even learn the predicted tanning index.
Wind speed? Weather geeks know the Beaufort scale, though I confess I’ve forgotten the severity of force six winds. Do you know the difference between a gale and a whole gale? Weather geeks know the winds necessary to become a tropical storm or hurricane. Inland wonks know the strength of an EF3 tornado versus an EF5.
Weather geeks don’t talk about rain, it’s called precipitation.
Hail? Are you talking pea size? Marble size? Ping pong ball size?
Just when I think I know weather measurements, they invent a new one. Just this year I’ve become aware of micro dust measurements and scales. Thank you Canadian wildfires.
So, weather geeks are a little weird, but basically harmless. Unless there are two of them, then they might trigger your annoyance index alarms. But they are my tribe.