STEVE'S "WILD" WORLD OF WEATHER...
A thank you from Terry,
Hello everyone. I've managed to get a few more subscribers together as the push continues to meet my fund raising goal. (only 115 more to go). As you know this is a voluntary subscription fee and it's very special when any of you digs into your funds out of respect for the product. Going forward, my goal is to be my own boss and control my future without the demands and constraints of the corporate world. I want to grow this site, add new features, and share my passion for weather with you. So it is that I ask for a voluntary fee of $12 dollars a year ($1 dollar per month) to make it happen. The future of the site is dependent on your contributions. We hope you see the value and hard work that exists in the daily content. Rest assured there are new features that are in development that I think you will enjoy. Thank you so much for your consideration and help. To subscribe click on the secure green box below. Roll weather...TS
STEVE'S WILD WORLD OF WEATHER
When I'm wondering about weather folklore and historical events this is the man I go to. With more than 50 years of statistical and observational research, he's the dude! When it comes to lunar cycles, woolly bear caterpillars, insects, bugs, and animals, he tracks them, records them, and establishes ties to weather patterns. He's a knowledgeable and interesting man. His name is Steve Gottschalk by way of Lowden, Iowa. I'm grateful to him for lending his unique perspective to the site. Steve's "wild" world of weather can be found every Wednesday right
here on TSwails.com
THE GOVERNMENTS CURIOSITY REGARDING WEATHER FOLKLORE
BY STEVE GOTTSCHALK
There was a time back in the late 1800's and early 1900's when the United States Government took a great interest in weather folklore. They commissioned 1st Lt. H.H.C. Dunwoody, a Signal Service officer of the Army to collect folklore from their observers all over the country. This collection of data resulted in a book entitled "Signal Service Notes No. IX - Weather Proverbs" which was published in 1883. It was a small hardcover volume of 148 pages.
Twenty years later, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Weather Bureau) commissioned Edward B. Garriott, a professor of Meteorology to do an updated book on weather folklore. The book was entitled "Weather Folklore and Local Weather Signs". This book had some of the more popular weather folklore of the day plus local weather signs from all of the weather bureau offices around the country. This book consisted of 195 pages and sold for 25 cents.
In the state of Iowa Weather Bureau offices were found in Davenport, Des Moines, Dubuque, Keokuk and Sioux City. Below the Davenport, Iowa NWS offfice in 1933. That year it was moved to the second floor of the Post Office Building at Fourth and Perry Streets in Davenport. Station elevation was 606 feet. (Official wind records made at Moline Airport January 1, 1929 to December 31, 1933.)
An excerpt from the Davenport office reads as follows: Precipitation is usually preceded about 20 hours by N.E. to S.E. winds and falling barometer; the barometer generally falls to 29.90 in spring, and 29.95 in both summer and autumn, and 30.00 before precipitation begins in winter.
I have both of these books in my collection.
STEVE'S LUNAR WEATHER CALENDAR FOR NOVEMBER
1-2nd - colder, wind, some light rain or snow
4th - warmer and windy
7th - colder, rain and wind
9th - colder, rain and wind
12th - cold, rain and wind
16th - cold, rain/snow and wind
19th - variable temps.maybe some rain and wind
22-24th - cold, rain/snow and wind
26th - warmer, rain and wind
28-29th - variable temps., rain/snow and wind
I asked for a 24 hour grace period with these dates as usual.
NOVEMBER SNOWFALLS
After looking at some historical data and my lunar research, I think our best chances for snow during the month of November are around the 13th,16th, 22nd, 23rd, 28th and 29th.
MY PIONEER WEATHER JOURNAL:
Back in 1982 I spent a good part of my time going through the county's old newspapers from 1853 to 1899 picking out all of the items related to weather. It filled one notebook and part of another. Here are a couple of excerpts from them on the weather this time of the year.
Oct. 29, 1873 - another heavy snowfall with several inches falling and the first sleigh of the season was seen out and about this evening.
Nov. 2, 1876 - the roads are very bad presently and a "light and open winter" is expected.
That's all for this week. On the "wild" side of weather, I'm Steve Gottschalk.
