Aside from being culturally advanced, Oklahoma also has another unique characteristic: it’s volatile weather.
For example, we had a high of 80 degrees yesterday afternoon, and the temperature has done nothing but drop since. Our low tonight is predicted to be 28 degrees. We have many days during the winter when we wake up to the high for the day.
Why?
Well, Oscar Hammerstein II got it right: the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain. In the wintertime, these winds produce wind chills as much as 30 degrees lower than the actual temperature. I bet you all thought the Chicago, a.k.a. the Windy City, was the windiest city in the U.S.?
Nope. That would be Oklahoma City, OK. Tulsa is only slightly less windy because it is not as flat and we have more trees.
So, while yesterday afternoon we had warm, balmy 13 MPH breezes from the southwest, this afternoon we have bone-chilling 14 MPH winter winds from the north. Hmmm…last time we had 28 degree lows, the outside looked like this:
Of course, that time, we woke up to 70 degrees and rain, and by the time we went to bed it was 30 degrees and sleet. This is a picture of my parents’ driveway. That storm knocked out their power for two weeks. Picture two 60-plus-year-old goats in an all electric modular home in rural Oklahoma with no power…which in addition to no lights, no heat, no TV and no computer, means no water thanks to their ELECTRIC pump system on their well. Oh – and no flushing the toilet, either.
Thankfully, it’s not raining this time. But wasn’t the ice pretty?
Hiya ~ came here through Noblowhatev
Little known fact: Chicago got the name ‘Windy City’ while the city was campaigning to host the Columbian Exposition of 1893. They final choice came down between Chicago and NYC, and it was some New York politicain who coined the nickname, as the politicians were such windbags. Still are, actually… Yeah, I have alot of history books, and grew up around Chicago.
But I will attest that it is also WINDY. When I worked downtown (for 15 years), there were many a time I was practically blown clean over by the wind coming off the lake.
Anyway, uh…hi!
While not as drastic, we started the day with 70 sunny and beautiful degrees yesterday and now it’s 40, rainy and gloomy. Argh.
That photo is excellent!
Also, the meme’s FINALLy up! 😉
Tagged Like Gangbusters
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thats a lovely most. It is really lovely dear. Thanks for sharing.
That is a very nice post. I really love reading it. Thanks for sahring.