Weather

For a couple hours Monday, August 20, beginning at 5:30 AM we experienced the thundering remnants of tropical storm Erin moving up from the gulf, arguably causing more damage by flooding than if she had been a hurricane hitting the shore. We don't get storms like that in Colorado. Maybe they're not all that common in Missouri, either. About fifty miles to the north of us 14 inches of rain fell in four hours. Incredibly bright lightning seemed to strike just across the lake from where we were staying, and its thunder echoed through the hills.

The same storm flooded parts of already saturated Texas, wreaked havoc in Oklahoma, as I said, downpoured on Missouri, devastated a town near Toledo, Ohio, and knocked down trees in Chicago, shutting down streets during rush hour.

No sooner did we get home than the weather reports here promised cooler weather and precipitation thanks to the remnants of another former tropical storm, the much-feared category 5 hurricane Dean (much weakened from having spun over arid Mexico before turning north). Here, however, I believe we have only had sprinkles. The usual suspects for flooding got their typical share of rain on the other side of Denver, but we are in the no-rain zone. Tornadoes don't come here, either. One was seen near Broomfield today, which is another Denver suburb.

We see the neatest weather, then, when we travel. I took the picture below on our passage through Kansas for our vacation.

I also took the week to really begin studying the weather. Moving across parts of three states, from one mountain range, over the Great Plains to another mountain range, made it difficult. And in Missouri we were most of the time stuck in a boring, fair-weather pattern. I think I learned a lot, though, and started a weather journal. I've neglected it since returning home, though. There aren't many windows in my house, and we keep them curtained. At work I am in a closet, dimming or brightening through warehouse skylights being my only indication of weather.

If I ever learn anything really neat or if I see a tornado, I'll let you know. Many nights I've dreamed happy dreams of finally getting to see a tornado, and I wake up almost sure it was real. (My dreams are very real. All the tornadoes look fantastically like those in Twister!) Have any of you had thrilling weather experiences?

To God be all glory.