Great, powerful weather predictor thrown off when travel plans go awry

Late last fall in this column, I vowed that I would have better things to write about through the winter than the weather in the Northland. Wouldn’t you know, I’d pick the winter that never was to make that decision.

Down at the village watering hole last week, I received yet another suggestion that I write about the weather we are having, but with a bit of a twist. Seems the folks around here aren’t putting too much stock in what the weather forecasters predict from day to day.

Comments vary but tend toward a few themes.

“I could do a better job than that weatherman just looking out the window,” and “If I was wrong that often I’d get fired.”

I pay about as much attention to the village talk as I do to the weather reports. I have my own system based on the chances the weather will interfere with any plans I may have.

In fact, those of you who enjoyed our mild winter and recent heat wave might have me to thank. I do have an inexplicable control over the climate conditions; at least when I travel, as evidenced by every vacation I have ever taken.

There was the spring I spent a week in Seattle. When I arrived, every building in the downtown was adorned with spring flowers blooming in the window boxes and curbside containers. Within a day, the temperature dropped below the freezing point. Before I left, the airport closed its runways due to snow cover and slippery conditions.

One summer, I was in Salt Lake City, Utah, where a family member was running in a marathon held as part of the city’s annual Joseph Smith Days. The festivities also included a parade, for which all local business closed up shop at noon.

I don’t run marathons and after watching the first one or two, they’re all the same. Normally I would take in the local shopping, but the stores were closed. With nothing much better to do, I decided to watch television.

The day had dawned with overcast skies that developed into sprinkles. The local morning talk show co-anchors could talk of nothing else. It seems — in their venerable career history — neither of them could remember a Joseph Smith Day that was cloudy, let alone rainy.

By afternoon it was a downpour and I was tempted to call the station myself to tip them that I was the one responsible for raining on the Mormon’s parade.

On my last mid-winter visit to Florida, the temperature had been running 20 or more degrees above average for two weeks before I arrived. On the cab ride from the airport, our driver related how the wind had switched mid-day and the temps were fast dropping.

For the next week, the thermometer dipped to an average 15 degrees below normal for the region, and sure enough, on the day I flew out, in the time it took me to get back to Duluth, the Florida sun was shining hot again.

There’s one problem with my theory. The weather usually worsens when and where I am vacationing. All I can say is that the weather gods must have missed the memo this year.

Hubby and I did have plans to travel beginning in early March, which would explain the recent balmy weather we’ve been experiencing here; I was supposed to be gone. Also, take into consideration our chosen destinations. Texas and Arizona have been unseasonably cold and wet. I think they were expecting me.

So, now that whoever the powers might be have finally drawn a bead on my current location and abandoned travel plans. I predict that our weather will return to a more normal forecast; cold with still more snow to come.

You can say you heard it here.

Judith Liebaert was raised in Superior and now lives in rural Douglas County. She blogs online as the Mad Goddess™. Send your comments or story ideas to judith_ann@madgoddess.com.

Tags: opinion