Dr. Tim Coleman and I attend the same church, Huffman Baptist, and we both live in Trussville.(So does Bill Murray) After church today, Tim and his attractive wife, Jennifer, a Sarah Palin look-alike, met at our favorite Chinese Restaurant in Trussville for some desperately needed nourishment.
For some strange reason, the talk eventually turned to weather and, would you believe, specifically to Ike? Not our former president of long ago, but Hurricane Ike.
I have held a long-lasting theory about hurricanes that I have never mentioned to anyone because I was afraid people would laugh.
Also I never mentioned it because there was no way I could prove it and I have never seen any research along that line.
The theory: A major hurricane (Category 3,4,5,) is a lot more difficult to boss around than a weaker one–especially a large major hurricane. In other words, a biggie, like Ike can, at least partially, ignore things that would alter the course and intensity of a rookie hurricane. One like Ike, may not respond to an upper level trough or a blocking ridge as quickly, or as much as a Category 1.
I was shocked that Dr. Tim, who has an IQ 10X mine, and who looks more like a dentist than a meteorologist, had somewhat the same theory.
What a relief! He did not laugh.
The weather conversation lasted so long that we got hungary again and ordered a plate of sugar-cinnamon Chinese doughnuts. Yummy, but don’t tell Little Miss Molly’s majority owner.
While I am cleaning out my theory file, I have another one that is unprovable. In winter, when the surface pressure builds to an amazing 1060 MB over the Yukon of NW Canada and the temperature drops to -60 at Mayo or Dawson, the frigid dome of air can start affecting the upper air pattern from below and the bitter cold can head southeast and reach Alabama in about eight days.
I enjoy talking weather, even when I have no idea what I am talking about.
My apology, for writing such an unimportant story when traffic on this blog resembles U.S. 280 because of Sir Ike…life goes on, right or wrong…
