Gary Archibald, Weathercaster

OK…relief is on the way… from the heat in the Northeast that is. It’s been stifling hasn’t it? And then there is the devastating wildfire situation and excessive heat concern for the Southwest and now for the Pacific Northwest… craziness. Well, a cold front will usher in some showers, a few rumbles of thunder – some of which could be severe -- so beware for tomorrow (Thursday afternoon throughout the Northeast). Hmmm… I have been thinking about what really constitutes relief…not just weather-wise, of late. Yesterday I blogged about “stayin’ cool” under this relentless heat and humidity, potentially deadly for some.

Now let’s consider for the moment, relief from worry, from your troubles if just for the moment. There’s nothing that you can do about the weather but just ride it out. Modern day meteorological science has availed the world over the ability to get a good hold of how active weather will likely develop, its course of action and impact and how it will affect our lives. So with that great feat, we are able to take some action, be proactive.

If for example an excessive heat warning is issued for the next few days in the Pacific Northwest (which is more than likely due to the huge surge in temperatures), then those affected can act to protect themselves by heeding those cautionary words. “Stay indoors, don’t expend too much energy, drink plenty of water…” Powerful.

So therein lies the power of forecasting. It, in and of itself, is a form of relief. It’s empowering to know what is or is not likely to happen. And, I might add, modern foresting, especially in the short-tem is very accurate (e.g. 3-5 day forecasts). This is good.

So there it is. Relief. Relief in the know, relief in the power of intelligently, scientifically, observing the weather world so that you and I can make choices that in turn will provide relief – relief form undue problems, stress.

Alright, I’m going to spell some relief right now as an example and because I truly want to be a help rather than a hindrance in this life. Here it goes…

Hey – it’s going to rain in the Northeast on Thursday – bring an umbrella. See. Now, you are likely to limit the chance of getting wet. You’re prepared.

Got it. Good.

Cheers everyone!

GA