The extreme weather challenge when seasons overlap

The first time Spring was interrupted by winter, was fifty nine years ago yesterday. It was a warm spring day and then it got seriously cold. That is actually a made up statement. Although it might be possible. Until now, the weather fifty nine years ago wasn’t very relevant. However, there was such a thing as severe weather, fifty nine years ago. And all these years later the weather is just as random, and extreme, as it’s always been.

A few years ago, nineteen to be exact, there was a “killer frost”. It happened in early April of 2007. The month of March was very warm that year. The warmth triggered early blooming. Therefore Spring was well underway when the frost struck. The area was the state of Tennessee. Of course the surrounding areas also felt the impact. However, the agricultural impact in the state of Tennessee was devastating that year.

In early April of 2007, the temperatures plummeted. In many areas the temperatures dropped below 25 degrees. While this doesn’t sound super extreme, it came on the heels of an unusually warm March. Most of the vegetation in the Tennessee valley began to bloom in early March of that year. Furthermore, the event became known as the Easter Freeze. The ripple effects of that event lasted throughout the year.

The Extreme Weather Challenge

Recently, Spring felt closer than ever. And it’s not because of an outdated time change that compromises a good night’s sleep. It does have something to do with that warm weather. After a cold winter, with far too many Arctic blasts, the warm temperatures were a welcome change. In fact, it was starting to look a lot like Spring. One of the cool things about Spring, is that the Summer season will follow.

Of course that may not be the best time of year for the winter enthusiast. All the warmth and the sunshine is in contrast to the frigid cold of the winter season. However, it’s easy to tell when the two seasons overlap. The regular process is a gradual thing, but when the seasons overlap, extreme weather is usually the result. In the late winter, the risk is snow storms and blizzards. In late Spring, the risk is thunderstorms and tornadoes.

It seems that the more the seasons overlap, the more likely there will be extreme weather. This is from personal experience, as much as it is listening to the weather forecast. Anyone that remembers the Spring of 2007 understands the complexities of the weather. And the fact that it just isn’t predictable to the point of absolute certainty.

When Seasons Overlap

This is an opinion article. There are meteorologists that spend years predicting the weather. Sometimes they get it right, other times it’s not even close. Clearly it’s not always easy to predict the future. If that were true, the lottery would be broke. Furthermore, everyone would be rich from hitting the lottery because the future is so easy to predict.

That’s the essence of the extreme weather challenge. It’s not predictable. It’s possible to know that the conditions are ripe for an event. However, knowing the precise location and time of the event is less accurate. For example, a tornado. That is extreme weather at its worst. Furthermore, they give unpredictability a run for its money. Perhaps that is most evident in places that experience extreme weather on a regular basis. Places like Tornado Alley. (Great Plains/ Midwest)

There is also Dixie Alley (Southeastern USA) and Hurricane Alley (Gulf Coast/Atlantic Coast). Additionally there is the Snow Belt (Great Lakes Region) and the High Desert/Southwest, which includes Arizona, Nevada and some of the interior of California. These are all areas that experience extreme weather. And it happens on a regular basis. Furthermore, overlapping seasons help fuel extreme weather conditions. It’s always important to be mindful of weather alerts.

Extreme Weather

When there is extreme weather, sheltering is a positive course of action. In other words, stay out of the storms if possible. One thing about extreme weather is that it usually passes quickly. However, this may not be the case with blizzard-like conditions and snow. In places further south, the weather will likely be related to the difference in the temperature change. In some places there will be a forty degree difference from a few days ago. Definitely a change from all the warm weather.

With this in mind, some places in the USA will see a huge difference in temperatures. Over the next few days there will be major dips. Then there is a slow warming that will hopefully stick this time. The late winter blast of March is not uncommon, but it is a brisk reminder that winter is still chugging along. Thanks for reading.

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