Weather forecasters are one of a select few professions not prone to exaggeration; the other chief occupation is your local mortician because after all is there a point in embellishing death? So whenever a red exclamation mark portends a weather forecast, chances are the person doing the exclaiming means it.
Just out of curiosity I decided to check out the weather conditions in St Anthony today, you know, see what Spring is like on the east coast of our new colonial island home.
Well apparently it’s still winter over there hence the “Winter Storm Watch” issued today and wouldn’t you know it, the ones to blame are the Americans and it's got nothing to do with all the hot air about Health Care Reforms bill.
“A deepening low pressure system over the Northeastern United States will track northeastward to lie over Nova Scotia by Wednesday afternoon then move over the gulf of St. Lawrence Wednesday night. Strong southeasterly winds and precipitation associated with this system will begin overnight over Southwestern Newfoundland and spread across the island throughout the day.”
Doesn’t sound nice does it but apparently it’s okay just as long as you don’t need to see where you are going.
“Snow is expected to begin Wednesday afternoon and continue through Thursday which in combination with strong winds is likely to give an extended period of reduced visibilities in blowing snow.”
It’s not as bad as it looks though, the visibility is 16.1km and considering I can barely see my own hand in front of my face without my glasses, it wouldn’t be a problem. It does sound like dandy weather for a windsurfer though.
“Winds in the Wreckhouse area are forecast to gust to 120 km/hour beginning Wednesday morning while easterly winds gusting to 100 km/hour are forecast to begin near noon along parts of the west coast and persist into Wednesday night. In addition, high seas and pounding surf are expected along the south coast beginning Wednesday morning and the Avalon Peninsula Wednesday evening.”
Easy as you like you say, well it would be if it wasn’t so cold.
Any place or forecaster that has devised a weather scale that separates coldness into actual temperature and the perceived coldness of said weather is again, someone I trust.
So when they say it is currently –5 but feels like –11, I know that Em and I were right to have mailed our snowboarding jackets and goggles today.
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