View from the Cab: Weatherisms
We have often been told not to bring up religion and politics with others, but what about weather? If you are around a group of farmers, you will likely hear a thing or two about this fascinating topic.
Weather seems to be something that brings everyone together. You may hear the occasional coffee shop banter like, “how about those Cubs?” But you are more likely to hear someone commenting on how cold it is or how much rain fell the night before.
Agriculture and weather go hand in hand. After all, it impacts our livelihood. If we get just the right amount of moisture, the crops will be good but if too much or too little rain falls, the results could be detrimental to corn and soybeans. Farmers around here even pay close attention to the weather in South America this time of the year to see how their conditions may impact our market prices.
I learned a few cool weather facts (no pun intended) from WEEK-TV chief meteorologist Chuck Collins who spoke at last week’s Livingston County Farm Bureau Agronomy Day in Pontiac. Did you know the El Nino and La Nina weather patterns were named after fishermen near Peru noticed cold water fish would disappear every 2-7 years when the waters would warm or that lake effect snow can occur in this area? I didn’t know it either.
Collins also noted that tornado alley is actually pushing farther east from places like Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. Also, McLean County leads the state in reported tornadoes between 1950 and 2017 with 104 confirmed touchdowns. Livingston County’s total is 50.
Winter weather has certainly been on the minds of many during the past few weeks as we transitioned from a mild winter to harsh conditions in a matter of days. Our drive home from Springfield was a tad icy last weekend and there were a few slick morning commutes in the days to follow. I know it won’t help to mention it, but we won’t likely get past 32 degrees until at least Feb. 10.
Here’s a weather fact to cheer you up: radar spelled backward is radar. Thanks for the humor Chuck!
(The View from the Cab blog is powered each week by Petersen Motors in Fairbury)
