So these are screenshots from two different weather apps from my neck of the woods yesterday. The first at 4.48 PM (Right), the second at 4.51 PM (Left). It was at the height of the Heat Advisory, an advisory that led to some schools releasing their students early. Warnings were everywhere. And the local news gave updates through the day regarding the rising temperatures.
Granted, we are a bit north of Columbus, and it may have made it to the low 90s down there. But I'm old enough to remember when a single day in the low 90s did not constitute a heat warning. Typically, advisories came with heat waves, which were several days in a row of 90s, preferably mid to upper 90s.
Nonetheless, the advisory covered our area, too. And the highest temp of the day, based on one of the weather apps, was 89 degrees. It's not as funny as the Heat Advisory the other day that had the high temp only make it to 77. But again, 89 degrees in our part of the country, in late August, is not unusual. And until recently, not particularly noteworthy. Hence, this is propaganda, not science, not meteorology, not weather reporting.
BTW, I noticed the difference in the two temps. I wondered about that. One is from my phone, and I don't know its source. The other app is from the Weather Channel I believe. But 5 degrees difference is significant. It made me wonder, as I am wont to do. If the all time high that day was 88 degrees, did we set a record? And is there a definitive source for temperatures that is always appealed to when we hear them talk of records breaking? Sort of an atomic clock for thermometers? If not, how do we know they're all keying off the same source for determining daily temperatures when we hear talk of daily records?
Plus, note the one on the right. It was the cooler temperature, but the higher 'feels like' (at 93 degrees). The other had the higher temp, but the lower 'feels like' (at 91 degrees). Is it me, or is that too subjective to warrant 'thus the records are broken, thus Global Warming, thus we're going to die, thus we must overhaul the world no questions asked!'? I'd like things to look a little more, shall we say, consistent before we charge forth and obediently find new ways for corporate interests to line their pockets and politicians to stack their votes.
(Tom New Poster)
ReplyDeleteThe old science teacher will point out that the location of the thermometer and the reporting station can make a difference. Proper placement is in the shade away from wind and moisture, but open to the atmosphere, and at eyelevel. It can also depend on whether the report is "real time" (the temp this very second) or a computed average (over the past hour e.g.). The second is far more useful for climatic calculations, but the first is what Joe Public means by "how the hell hot is it NOW?", even though the NOW might not last that long. The permanent record is in fact the daily thermograph rather than a number on a checklist.
The Cli-Con crowd will be happy to manipulate things in their favor.
Seriously, how can anyone of us believe ANYthing ANY institution tells us be it the weather channels, any government entity, academic institution, federal law enforcement or even the justice system? It really has become near impossible to put faith in any institution today. I really hate feeling like this but how can I not? I don't look at these institutions as our messiah for only Christ is but we did have a certain amount of trust in them at some point to do the right thing which is all but forgotten today.
DeleteThat's just what I meant. Again, if the all time high yesterday was 88, did we break a record or not? As you suggest, there should be one and only one source here, but how do I know they are using that one and only one source? As BobB says, it's getting difficult to trust anything today. Especially when it makes it to 77 and the weather reporters are still insisting 'it's been a hot one.' I'll take 77 degrees as a hot one in August any day of the week. My fear is, people will nonetheless believe what they're being told, even when against all experience to the contrary.
DeleteWhen a society is in steep decline, all of its institutions start showing signs of corruption. It's a sad day when you can't watch the sports news or the weather forecast without being subjected to political propaganda. What country is this again?
ReplyDeleteThe USSA
DeleteRecently I was watching You Tube clips of local newscasts from the 1970s. Among them was a weekend weather report from WLS-TV in Chicago, from August 1973:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZENYq5YXVB0
The extremely vintage graphics are a hoot, not to mention the rather sappy bank commercial, but a couple of other things I notice about it:
-- The weather guy admits that the previous day's forecast was totally wrong and explains why.
-- He predicts a high of 97 degrees the following day but says it will be "simply great.... I promise you, that's not a guarantee, you will be able to go out on your picnics and do anything you want to do without any rain falling on you." No hand wringing about a dangerously high heat index or anything like that. Why, he acts as if temperatures in the high 90s in August are perfectly normal or something.
Elaine S.
Wow! That is stunning. He acts as if it's no big deal, temps in the high 90s. I wonder if there are other weather broadcasts from back in the day saying the same thing. Of course in the 70s, when I was in school, it was the next Ice Age we were told to worry about. I've heard some today insist nobody talked about an ice age back then, but that's not true. I remember in 5th Grade being taught the world was heading to a new ice age that was going to upend everything and cause no end of suffering. Perhaps that's why 97 was seen as such a good thing? In any event, I think it's fair to say what we're seeing is more Orwell than science.
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