Due to my profession I get excited by most all weather phenomena. Obviously. It's part of my genetic make-up. Nonetheless this next statement may seem a bit out there. One of my favorite days of the year is June 1st, the start of hurricane season. I think I'll be in TV for a while but if I had to specialize in an area of meteorology it would be tropical cyclones. I find them facinating. A wave of energy moves off the African coast, picks up speed and steam from the warm Atlantic waters and feeds off of not too strong and not too light but just right winds and builds until it hits land and then turns back into a regular old storm system. Or at least that's the basics of it. The things are massive with so much energy rolled up into them. It really is impressive when you think about it. Mother Nature outdid herself with them. I think the other thing I like about them is that they're somewhat predictable. Can we tell you the exact minute and latitude that a hurricane will make landfall? No. But we have a pretty solid idea of where it'll impact and when it'll get there. Unlike tornadoes, which we pretty much know they're happening when they're on the ground.
But enough with the science. I woke up this morning all stoked that everyone would be talking about hurricanes today. I know that I now live in Montana and that they're not really a threat here but people here have to be interested in them nonetheless right? Wrong! My bubble was deflated when I got into work and no one else but me seemed to care. COME ON! Hurricanes are so cool and who wouldn't want to hear all about them. I mean people here have relatives on the East Coast right? Maybe, but unless there's actually one happening no one seems to care. And it makes me sad.
I realized when I picked up and moved across the country that things were going to be different, but I forgot that one of my favorite parts of weather would no longer be relavant. People here in Montana aren't effected directly by hurricanes so their level of care is about a 1. Now, don't get me wrong, they have issues with flooding and wildfires here which will be different and new for me. I'm excited to tackle new challenges. But the fact that there's not even the potential for a tropical cyclone to strike the coast of Washington kinda sucks for me (the waters in the Pacific are much too cold this far north plus the puppies in the Pacific tend to go toward Asia).
Now, just because I won't be tracking hurricanes for work doesn't mean I won't still be on top of things like a hobo on a ham sandwich. Trust me, my summer would not be nearly as much fun if I suddenly decided not to care. Yes, my South Carolinians, you can still count on me to keep you informed on the latest tropical forecasts. And who knows, if one starts heading towards the Low Country or the Pee Dee, I may make an "emergency" trip to Charleston. And to my new Montana friends, you're just going to have to deal with my obsession. Sorry...it's in my DNA.
