Skip to main content

The Weather Is Anybody's Guess

One of the main reasons people move to Florida is the weather. People are tired of winters, or maybe they never liked winters to begin with. They want more sunshine than northern skies provide, and they want to walk on the beach without wearing a coat and scarf. Well, welcome, but don’t be fooled by the palm trees—January can be chilly.

I get the attraction, although I only ever tired of winter when it dragged on past March. Otherwise, I appreciate the change of seasons. Yet, here I am living full-time in the Florida Panhandle.

I have noticed on some social media pages mostly aimed at vacationers that people from other places will ask about the weather as they plan their visit here. First, let me say that in this grand time of the 21st century, if you can afford to come here for vacation, you probably have the same access to the Internet that those of us living here have. 

Snark aside, predicting the weather here is tricky. I was warned about that before we moved here, but I didn't believe it until I experienced it. To begin with, don't bother checking the ten-day forecast because it's irrelevant. It's irrelevant anywhere but especially here. 

Also, don't put much stock in the forecast for tomorrow, whatever day that might be, because the Gulf winds are going to change it. If the forecast calls for rain in the morning, you might get some rain. You might get a downpour. You might also get sunshine and clear skies without a drop.

If the forecast calls for a sunny afternoon, and you're spending your morning with that weather in mind, it might happen for you. It might also happen that a storm will move in and flood the back yard in 30 minutes flat. What I have found to be true lately is a forecast calling for storms that keep moving around on the radar and then dissipate before they can actually cause trouble.

Hurricanes are another story, and I won't address that here. It's a science combined with some guessing, and I'll leave that to the experts. But for day-to-day weather, you just have to keep checking, look up in the sky, pay attention to thunder you might hear unexpectedly in the distance, and plan generally on being surprised.

This is a screenshot of an actual storm that was threatening the area for days. I did not play with the shape of it in anyway—it's simply Mother Nature having a joke on us, as she often does, acting as if even she doesn't know what's going to happen at any given moment.

Have I mentioned humidity? That's assumed, I suppose. There are people who love humidity like it's a comforting blanket. I have no use for those people.

#30A #EmeralCoast #FloridaPanhandle #Floridaweather

Labels:

Comments

dive said…
Well spotted, Robyn! That storm is a very apt shape. This may be why so many English folk take trips to Florida; we're used to weather that changes every time you turn around.
11:18 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Classic Green Bean Bake

In anticipation of Thanksgiving, I feel I must post a recipe with plenty of good old American tradition. The classic Green Bean Bake was invented in 1955 by Dorcas Reilly, a home economist who worked for the Campbell's Soup Company. A study was done determining that 50% of all Americans have eaten the classic Green Bean Bake, and 38% of those believe it is best served during the holidays, mainly Thanksgiving. So, for the other 50% and for those in other countries where this dish may be unfamiliar--my treat: The Classic Green Bean Bake serves 6 to 8 1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon soy sauce Dash of fresh pepper 1 20-oz. bag frozen cut green beans, thawed* 1 2.8 oz can French-fried onions -Preheat the oven to 350 F -In a casserole dish, combine the soup, milk, soy sauce and pepper. Stir in the green beans and half of the onions. -Bake until bubbling, about 25 minutes. Top with the remaining onions and bake for 5 more minutes. Serve hot. *Or cook 1 ...
7 comments
Read more

Bring On the Bombs

In today's edition : I generally try to keep on top of cultural trends even if I don’t adopt them, but there is a growing movement that I have only just discovered. Not long ago, I was walking along in Berkeley, California while visiting my daughter, and I saw a signpost that had been covered with yarn, like someone had sewn a knitted scarf to it. It was colorful and randomly striped, and I pointed it out as if it were the most unusual thing in the world. That’s when my daughter explained the nature of what is known as yarn bombing. It’s when knitters attach something they’ve created to a public object, most often doing their deed stealthily and anonymously. They leave a “bomb,” so to speak, for no other purpose than to brighten up the place and to bring a little cheer to those passing by. Their work has been equated with graffiti, except that the woven yarn is not permanently installed and does no damage to the object it covers. And instead of signifying the territory of a street ...
2 comments
Read more

Cindy Loo Who In October

What is it with people and Cindy Loo Who? Of my last one hundred blog hits, forty have been direct visits from regular readers, and fifteen have been as a result of people searching for "Cindy Loo Who," the little pixie from Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas . A couple of years ago, I posted an image of the original Seuss illustration as compared to the TV cartoon image, and for some reason, that post is bringing in the crowds, relatively. Maybe it's the weather. It isn't even November yet, and already we've had frost and have had to dust off our winter coats. When it gets cold like this, I start to think about Christmasy things like listening to Nat King Cole and decorating the tree. It's ironic because I am offended when retailers start pushing holiday stuff early, but I don't mind my own private celebrations. When my sister and I were much younger and still living with our parents, we would pick a day in July, close the curtains to darken the ...
8 comments
Read more