Central Illinois Skywarn: Don't Believe


You need to have more faith.

One can tell the air temperature by the rate of a cricket's chirping. Current temperature is the number of times a cricket chirps plus 41.

In fact, until the mid-seventies it was not considered good meteorology to announce a temperature until it had been confirmed by crickets. And weather and TV stations bred weather crickets for that purpose. That ended when reliable digital thermometers came on the market. But I believe the National Weather Service's mascot is still a cricket--Cold Front Clyde.

I bet many old time meteorologists miss the chirping of the crickets and cackling of hens--you may recall, real chicken feathers were dropped to determine wind direction until the early eighties--around their weather stations.

Believe it? Really? You need to be less gullible.

As there are no questions left, you may:

Continue. With the rest of your life.


© Mark Sefried and Lindsey Ross Block