Tuesday, July 20, 2010

A little known fact.


Many (Many!) years ago I went to class for a week to learn how to become a certified weather observer. The airline that I worked for needed weather people. At the time I was living in Dutch Harbor (Deadliest Catch) and there were three airlines that flew in to Dutch Harbor. Each airline had their own. (Nobody trusted the other airlines for a weather observation I guess!)


I learned all kinds of stuff. One thing that I learned was about thunderstorms and embedded thunderstorms. Not that we really had that in Alaska. Alaska does not often have all the right weather ingredients for a thunderstorm.


Tonight, while I was out sitting with my goats, I watched a weather front move toward me. I recognized the classic anvil clouds and saw a whole line of embedded thunder storms. Then the clouds were over me and it started to rain......hard! Got the goats put away and ran into the house.


When you have a job that depends on the weather like aviation, you become a weather watcher as bad weather meant a bad day at the office. You learn quick that minimum flying weather is a great weather day! As long as your flight can depart, all is well in your world. (Then in a few hours you have to worry about if they can land.)
(P.S. I did not take that pic, came off the internet)

6 comments:

  1. When I got home later tonight it started raining. It rained really big drops and it almost looked like hail. I did see those big clouds tonight and they were beautiful.

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  2. Hmmm.. I didn't get any rain at all or funky cloud formations.

    But yes I agree - once a weather watcher always a weather watcher :)

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  3. No pretty clouds here, just dreary gray sky. It was dark when I got home at 5:30. I am waiting for summer but may have to wait until next year. It poured for a sort time here in Anchorage.

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  4. ditto to what Janice said. Rain, rain go away, come again next summer for just a few days, not all summer long!

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  5. I think weather watching is interesting, that was cool that you did that for awhile.

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  6. I'm always interested in little known fact!

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