Jun. 18th, 2014 12:46 pm
Unpredictable
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muckefuckIn Florida, I was surprised by the number of times the weather forecast changed over the course of a day. On Friday in particular, we kept checking the hourly in the hopes of an "all clear" for evening grilling and the percentages were constantly being shuffled. As it happens, we actually did have the perfect window--about forty precipitation-free minutes right before serving time--but by that point the Old Man had resigned himself to using the broiler instead.
You'd think we'd never left. The forecasts read almost the same: humid, highs in the upper 20s °C (low 80s °F), 30-40% chance of rain most days. In Florida, there was still a strong tendency toward clear mornings and late afternoon cloudbursts which is less pronounced here. Yesterday evening we had a sudden spattering around 8 p.m., but nothing significant. The time the real rain was supposed to begin kept being pushed later and later, and in the end it never materialised at all.
Today, however--hoo boy! For comfort, I wore shorts, and I didn't worry about rain gear because there was a 0% chance of precip until about 2 p.m. But when I stopped for coffee at Metropolis a little after 9 a.m., it already looked threatening and there was a surprisingly cool breeze off the lake. I finished with my dental appointment about 10:30 and went right to the El platform, where I soon found myself so chilled by the strengthening north wind that I stepped into a shelter to get out of it. To the northwest, the sky was reminiscent of the climax of a fantasy film; it got so dark that lights came on on the platform.
Still the rain held off until I was passing through Rogers Park. When I reached Evanston, it was no longer pouring, but the ten minutes' walk to work would've had me thoroughly soaked, so I took refuge in Howard's Books (and picked up another Fontane novel for $2) until it slowed to a drizzle; by the time I reached campus (11:45, give or take), it was picking up again. It's a fast-moving system if I can believe the radar map, however, which means that my lunch might not be a leftover chicken skewer and chips from the vending machine after all. It's still officially about 17°C, and might be quite a bit brisker up here near the lake.
You'd think we'd never left. The forecasts read almost the same: humid, highs in the upper 20s °C (low 80s °F), 30-40% chance of rain most days. In Florida, there was still a strong tendency toward clear mornings and late afternoon cloudbursts which is less pronounced here. Yesterday evening we had a sudden spattering around 8 p.m., but nothing significant. The time the real rain was supposed to begin kept being pushed later and later, and in the end it never materialised at all.
Today, however--hoo boy! For comfort, I wore shorts, and I didn't worry about rain gear because there was a 0% chance of precip until about 2 p.m. But when I stopped for coffee at Metropolis a little after 9 a.m., it already looked threatening and there was a surprisingly cool breeze off the lake. I finished with my dental appointment about 10:30 and went right to the El platform, where I soon found myself so chilled by the strengthening north wind that I stepped into a shelter to get out of it. To the northwest, the sky was reminiscent of the climax of a fantasy film; it got so dark that lights came on on the platform.
Still the rain held off until I was passing through Rogers Park. When I reached Evanston, it was no longer pouring, but the ten minutes' walk to work would've had me thoroughly soaked, so I took refuge in Howard's Books (and picked up another Fontane novel for $2) until it slowed to a drizzle; by the time I reached campus (11:45, give or take), it was picking up again. It's a fast-moving system if I can believe the radar map, however, which means that my lunch might not be a leftover chicken skewer and chips from the vending machine after all. It's still officially about 17°C, and might be quite a bit brisker up here near the lake.