What a difference a year makes
Those of us who are shaking our fist at this year's crummy weather and seeking solace in the hope that it's an aberration can take a bit of comfort in an affirmation of that fact by looking at the latest electricity bills from TXU Energy. The one that just arrived by email provided this perspective:
That's a 20% increase in the average high temp, year-over-year.
On the other hand, it's sobering to consider that perhaps the aberration was last year.
Rats.
Darrell, you're right, anecdotally and, I suspect, quantitatively. Our hottest weather normally comes in June.
dome of dryness
Say, you should make a suggestion to Messrs. Spielberg and Lucas: Indiana Jones and the Dome of Dryness. Boffo!
Posted by: Eric at June 5, 2008 09:35 AMWell, yes .... it's hot .... but it's a DRY heat :-)
Posted by: Jeff at June 5, 2008 10:18 AMbut it's a DRY heat
You obviously didn't mow your yard this morning.
Posted by: Eric at June 5, 2008 11:38 AM"You obviously didn't mow your yard this morning."
That's what Elder Son is for :-)
Well, I waited for him as long as I could, and he never showed!
Posted by: Eric at June 5, 2008 12:14 PMThe utility bill reminded me of the just-released Nudge, which looks to be the 2008 version of Freakonomics or The Tipping Point, which is to say it should be at least a bit diverting. In the blurbs/promos/reviews I've read, one of the interesting examples of how people are "nudged" to do the right thing was when an electric company, in an effort to reduce consumption, tried a variety of educational and promotional measures with little success until they hit upon simply including the neighborhood average consumption in with the monthly bill. Apparently it made a dramatic impact.
Posted by: Bret at June 5, 2008 06:41 PMI agree that it doesn't feel "dry" when mowing in the mornings...but I would still take this over Houston heat. Remember the old saying about living in a dog's mouth. :-)
Posted by: Mark at June 6, 2008 03:35 PMCareful, Mark...you're commenting on Bret's hometown! ;-)
But, I do agree. I'm replying to this from Waco, and I assure you that I'll trade the humidity here in a heartbeat for anything west Texas weather has to offer.
Posted by: Eric at June 6, 2008 10:20 PM20%? Is it legit to do "percentage" math with degrees fahrenheit? or any other degree system (celsius or kelvin)? Your point is taken, nevertheless; it's absolutely HOT down there!
From St. Louis, where you could practically walk across the Mississippi River on the barge traffic backed up here, due to high water upstream.
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Eric,
Posted by: Darrell Ward at June 5, 2008 08:56 AMUnfortunately you're right. Last year was the aberration. But we are not without hope. In years past (I'm speaking anecdotally, but if I weren't having my mid-morning lazy spell, I could look it up in the weather records) we have had extremely hot stretches in May and June that were followed by relatively mild summers. One year we hit several record highs in May and then only hit 100 twice during the entire summer. So there still is hope.
Now if we could just figure a way to import some rain...that darn "dome of dryness" thing is giving us fits.