Tag: South

how to calculate the heat index

Have you ever wondered what the formula is to determine the heat index? You might be surprised…

Heat Index = -42.379 + 2.04901523T + 10.14333127R – 0.22475541TR – 6.83783×10-3T2 – 5.481717×10-2R2 + 1.22874×10-3T2R + 8.5282×10-4TR2 – 1.99×10-6T2R2

Who knew it was that complicated? If you want a full explanation of all those variables, go here (if you dare): It’s Not the Heat, It’s the Humidity. There are a lot of assumptions built into that equation. Basically, the heat index is different for everyone. That formula is based on an average of someone who is 5’7″ and weighs 147 pounds. The equation even accounts for how much clothes coverage you have — it assumes 84% based on “long trousers and short-sleeved shirt”. Trousers? I don’t wear trousers… I’m not British!

There should be a separate heat index for the South. On the worst of days, we don’t need a number — it should just say “STAY INSIDE!”. Because there’s days where you step out the door and you’re instantly sweating. I don’t know how that’s possible, but it’s a thing. When you can feel your skin start to burn within seconds, it’s just not safe. On those days, just stay inside.

why southern weather makes no sense

In this video (below) there’s a person scheduling the weather for the South (meaning southern United States, from part of Arkansas to Florida). Attending this meeting are the four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall. What will happen as they try to figure out what kind of weather the South should have this year? (This is comedy, if it isn’t obvious.)

While that’s exaggerated, there is some truth to it. My favorite part is winter planning a few snowflakes to shut everything down. That actually does happen. I know people in the up north don’t get it, but in the South there are very few snowplows or trucks to salt the roads. Also, southerners typically don’t have much experience in how to drive in snow, so there’s that danger. But it’s all okay, because snow is so rare here, so it’s a special occasion. I have a friend that grew up in the South, then moved to Colorado. She said most people there take snow for granted, because they see so much of it. Many of the people there didn’t have any interest in throwing snowballs or building a snowman (or snow castles or snow monsters, which deserves its own post).

While there is a lack of snow most of the winter, it also means much of the winter is somewhat mild. It does get below freezing at times, but that’s usually just for a day or two, then it’ll be back to the 60s by the end of the week, so you can return to shorts and T-shirts. The only bad part is the middle of summer, where extreme amounts of heat and humidity mix together for a rather unpleasant atmosphere. But it’s just two months that are really bad. The same people made a video about that, too:

If you haven’t experienced southern humidity, then you might not get it. There are summer days where you walk outside and within seconds you are sweating. Sometimes it seems like sweating starts instantly. I don’t know how quickly the body can respond to the change in temperatures, but that’s not something I particularly want to research. (I will add that I am extremely thankful for air conditioning!)

There’s a saying in the South that if you don’t like the weather, just wait a day or two and it’ll change. That is mostly true, except for July and August, where there’s a 99% chance of it being hot and humid every single day. So for those months, the weatherman’s job of making the forecast is easy — really hot, with a 20% chance of thunderstorms, almost every day.

it might snow — gotta buy milk & bread!

The weather here in Arkansas can be so random… yesterday I was outside playing tennis because it was 62 degrees, and tomorrow we’re expecting from 2 to 8 inches of snow.  For those of you from the north, that amount of snow probably means nothing.  But here, where it snows maybe once or twice a year, it’s a big deal.  It’s been all over the news.  And there was even a segment on the news dedicated to people buying all the milk and bread because snow was mentioned in the weather forecast.

According to the news program, some people rush out to buy milk and bread before potential snow not because of the snow, but because other people will be buying milk and bread because of the snow.  So who started that cycle?  It’s not like we ever have more than a couple days of wintry weather, and it’s not like you can’t eat if you run out of milk and bread for a day or two.  So why is it such a big deal?

I wonder if that happens anywhere else but the South.  If there’s any readers north of here, do you experience anything like that?  I’d guess not, because road crews clear the roads quickly.  Here, if snow sticks to the road, the town shuts down.  People start leaving work when they see snow falling.  When I used to work for a large IT corporation, I worked with clients in Chicago and New York City, and they would be shocked that people couldn’t get into work for two inches of snow.  But that’s how it is.  The roads don’t get cleared quickly, and there is little to no public transportation, and there’s often some amount of ice, whether initially or the next day.  That may seem weird, the town closing down, but I kinda like it.

Hopefully we’ll get a LOT of snow so I can build giant snow creations (like a snow castle).  And of course, a day or two off work is nice…  🙂

snow in the South

It’s great to live in the South… for numerous reasons, but on my mind now is how we don’t take snow for granted.   A few days ago, we got about 5 inches of snow here in central Arkansas, and there are still things shut down.  There’s a lack of equipment for clearing roads and bridges, and we often see some degree of ice with these winter storms that produce snow.   The first night of the snow, I saw a local news program that was listing closings on the screen, and one said “City of Conway closed”.  🙂  I’m sure that was meant for the local government, but it was very accurate nonetheless.

I didn’t get to build my (long dreamed of) ginormous snow castle nor Snowzilla, but hopefully there will be other opportunities.  I did get to build a snowman, though, and he’s one tough snowdude.  He has his arms bowed up at his side, ready to fight, and he has a mohawk.  He could definitely beat up your snowman.

On a related note, I had some of the Buffet o’ Blog staff to my house last night, and upon leaving, one of them decided to make buttprints in the snow in my front yard.  Lots of buttprints.  I didn’t take a picture, but you can just imagine… (Yet stranger things have happened…)