The Weather

The weather in New Orleans is very odd, but i think i am getting the hang of it. The winter was not too bad this year which made it easy for Anne and i to continue riding our bikes to work most days. It is now starting to get much warmer. Normally the afternoons will be up in the 80's with a little humidity. This California type weather will continue for about three days then all of a sudden it will get very humid and sticky. It builds and builds until all of a sudden the wind comes, the clouds break, and it poors! Last weekend it was beautiful and so was the weekend before that, but the week in between there was a big storm. This is a picture of what the weather report said when i woke up early last week.

That big green spot just stopped right above New Orleans and did not leave until all of the rain was emptied out of the clouds. The 3 red warnings on the bottom were for severe thunder storms, severe lightening, and flash floods. At night the lightning was so bad it looked like a strobe light was flashing at our window. I have never heard thunder crack right outside my house before. Its a scary sound, like a gigantic whip or belt snapping angrily. The sound that sheet metal makes when you are trying to imitate a thunder sound was not even close to what i heard last week. Normally after the storm clears the sun comes out and its back to being beautiful. The change can happen all of a sudden, in the same day sometimes. The morning will be gross and wet then after lunch the sun will have dried all of the benches and wish i had worn flip slops, not my rain boots.

I talk about California a lot here. People ask me all sorts of questions about it. But i think i will really really miss the California weather when June July and August come around and i melt into a puddle of sweat :)