{"id":3998,"date":"2020-07-11T20:25:49","date_gmt":"2020-07-11T20:25:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/?p=3998"},"modified":"2021-01-07T18:17:19","modified_gmt":"2021-01-07T18:17:19","slug":"storms-covid-19-and-politics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/storms-covid-19-and-politics\/","title":{"rendered":"Storms, COVID-19 and Politics"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Several decades back, while I was living with my parents in Moorhead, Minnesota, a radio announcer read the day’s weather forecast.<\/p>\n

Nothing unusual about that. The forecast was another matter. As I recall, the National Weather Service was telling us to expect severe thunderstorms, hail, torrential rains, mighty winds and an occasional tornado.<\/p>\n

After finishing the official forecast, the announcer paused before rhetorically asking “what? No burning hail?” Or maybe it was “fiery hail.” Something like that.<\/p>\n

Which raises an interesting, if hypothetical, question. If Egypt’s climate was like Minnesota’s, back when Moses couldn’t talk his way out of a diplomatic mission, what would it have taken to get Pharaoh’s attention?<\/p>\n

Interesting to me, that is. Your experience may vary.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Same Old Same Old: Storms and Sunshine<\/h4>\n

<\/a>Last night’s 24-hour weather forecast told me to expect a bright, sunny and thoroughly nice summer day today.<\/p>\n

So far, we’ve had sincerely overcast skies, a severe thunderstorm warning southeast of Sauk Centre; and assurance that the excitement isn’t over.<\/p>\n

And now, a few minutes later, the severe thunderstorm warning is south of us. Or maybe it’s a new warning.<\/p>\n

Either way, I’m not surprised that yesterday’s forecast and today’s weather don’t match.<\/p>\n

This is the Upper Midwest. I grew up in this part of the world, which may explain why I think weather in San Francisco is boring. Beautiful city, though, and that’s another topic.<\/p>\n

Now the sun is shining on the corner of South Ash and 9th Street. And folks between Detroit Lakes and Moorhead had a tornado warning.<\/p>\n

Minnesota’s weather is not boring. Occasionally lethal, but not boring.<\/p>\n