I have been watching the developing patterns in the long range outlook for a good while now. For the most part, I have been successful on letting folks know when a storm is coming.
I have been especially fortunate to have been able to forwarn ahead by as much as a month on winter storms…and hit it right. Now, it is springtime and a time when severe storms and tornadoes seem to become more numerous. To come up with what I believe will occur, I use a lot of different things. Weather and climate is more complicated than you may believe. There are a great many moving parts. Once I have looked at the models of expected patterns and events, I look at the blocking patterns, the amount of sunspots on the sun, the amount of volcanic eruptions that threw ash into the atmosphere, I look at what the National Weather Service says, and weather in the past under similar conditions in our region.
Finally, I look at nature and what is happe
ning in the world around us. The behavior of birds, frogs, and insects, many times hold clues of coming weather. Then, once I combine all that together, I add my instinct to the mix. I know that sounds strange and I'm not sure I can describe it myself. But sometimes, I just "know" what is going to occur. Perhaps I aquired that from the years spent among my Lakota and Ojibway friends. Who's to say. I know I put everything I have into this, including prayer, and that is, in my opinion, the key to being able to know weather.
There are a lot of so-called "Armchair Meteorologists" around. Facebook is full of them. They have never been near a real storm in their life unless one happened to pass over them. I don't understand it, but they have their followers that believe every word they say. My only concern with them is that they may say something out of ignorance that could cause harm to those listening to them. This is a huge responsibility and I don't take it lightly. I have been in and around countless storms and much closer to tornadoes than I care to say. But my purpose has never been for a thrill or for recognition from, anyone. I am driven by one desire and that is to help my fellow man because I truly care.
I can be as wrong as the next guy. But it will not be because I didn't give it my best shot. I also do not want, by any stretch of the imagination, to take the place of the National Weather Service. They are the best at what they do. The main thing is to never ignore the Watches or Warnings they issue. In the next post, I will share what I believe is in the offing for our region in coming weeks. Feel free to leave comments and please hit the "Like" button at the end of this post.
