Ticker for February 1, 2008

                
MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ...
February 1, 2008   February 1, 2008   February 1, 2008   February 1, 2008



In The Literary Biz, They Call It "Hyperbole"

We all love a good story or struggle and opposition, so we're in luck
today. Today's weather situation presents a classic battle royale for
the ages, with two mighty forces of nature pitted against each other
in a gripping struggle to the death.

Wait, on second thought ...

We all love a story where elements of good must overcome obstacles and
difficulty to make the world a better place. The Hero's Journey is a
staple of western literature, from Homer to Bilbo Baggins. Today's
weather situation presents a classic struggle of the warm forces of
good against the gritty residue of cold evils.

Wait, on third tought ...

We all love a good story of the heroic last stand. From the Masada to
the Alamo, we've been captivated by the tragic beauty of togetherness
under seige. Even with the outcome pre-determined, our heroes steel
themselves until they finally melt under an overwhelming torrent.
Today's weather situation presents such a stoic tale.

Oh, heck. They're all great. We can't decide which story is best, so
you'll have to. The situation is best described through the words
of Mesonet Quality Assurance Meteorologist Cindy Morgan:

"Very chilly start in the northern part of Oklahoma where the snow
pack is. Might be an interesting temperature map later this
afternoon as the southern parts warm up but the north stays cooler."

Well, not only is Cindy a talented meteorologist, she is also an astute
perceptor of our species' greatest talent: the story.


Here's what's going on. Yesterday's storm system left a blanket of
snow across the plains and midwest:

(in this NCAR image, rivers and lakes can be seen cutting through
snowpack)

In Oklahoma, temperatures got a very chilly start under that snowpack:

(the blue numbers are the morning lows for the day)

The Big-Picture Weather for the day calls for a torrent of southerly
winds to scour the region, bringing warmth that will crumble away
at the snowpack. We can already see these winds evident in the Mesonet:



The warmth will eventually prevail; it's just too overwhelming to defy.
But how will the story play out? Will the southerly winds eat away at
the snowpack quickly, bumping temperatures into the 50s? Or will the
snowpack hang on heroically for a legendary moral victory, crumbling
away but dragging high temperatures down around 40?

Ladies and gentlemen, there's a showdown on the plains today.

Select your story; Pick your protagonist; Find your narrative framework.

In the words of American Literary Giant Michael Buffer:
Let's Get Ready to Crumble.