Dry time of year?

[fbhjr]

This morning on the news they were talking about how it has been so dry
lately that there have been some major brush fires and they’re worried
about more of them.
When they switched over to the weather, the woman doing the weather started
with “as you know, this time of year is normally dry unless we get stuck in
an unusual pattern of moisture.”

That struck me as strange.  After all the whole saying “April showers bring
May flowers” is something I remember quoting on many a rainy spring day in
the past.

I decided to check the data.  I looked up the average rainfall amounts in
the Boston area by month over the last 100 years.
March is by far the wettest month being the only month to crack 4” on
average.
April isn’t anywhere near that damp, but is still above average.  (It is
fifth of twelve.)

So, it seems very strange to me that the weather person would describe this
time of year as “normally dry”.
I’ll grant you that she added, “unless we get stuck in an unusual pattern”.
And, I do agree that my memories match it either being totally rainy or
being very nice with an all or nothing sort of pattern.

I’m used to seeing fire warnings over the summer.  And, July, August and
September are all below average in rain.  So, that matches my memories.

But, it does seem strange to me that when we’re seeing dangerous fires
three months earlier than I remember, the weather person is trying to
convince me it’s normal, when the data doesn’t support that…

Comments

[pallid-regina.livejournal.com]

Don't you know, we're in the "data is irrelevant" era? Skew the facts to say whatever you WANT them to say! It's all up to you!

Sorry. Lance and I were talking about this last night - that facts are being subsumed by opinion and that opinion is being granted fact status. Which is weird and annoying.

[brickhousewench.livejournal.com]

that facts are being subsumed by opinion and that opinion is being granted fact status.

Which means you can do research papers in your head!

(Sorry. Was just reading that post. *giggles*)

[palusbuteo.livejournal.com]

Yup. Making it sound matter-of-factly or authoritative has somehow been passed on as 'proper' and 'accurate' news. But then, I doubt this is anything "new". Are you going to stay on that channel and sit through really important commercials or other important news to hear the weather be "normal"? Or are you going to stay glued and on the edge of your seat if they say "Holy Shit! It's Dry and that means FIRES!! Lots of FIRE! And you need to wait another 45 minutes for us to tell you how to protect You and Your Family Children! It could be happening, right now, on your very street! Our Super Radar will zoom in right on Your house so you can see for yourself! OMGBBQ!

Every day I get less and less interested in TV. Its sole purpose has been "entertainment" from the very start. But then, opinionated and biased 'news' has been around for a very long time, from the days of radio to the days of print. Le Sigh.

But I do agree, it is still annoying and weird.

[cissa.livejournal.com]

It's all very post-modern- even (especially?) on the part of people who would claim to HATE "subjective" reality. Still, they- more than others- are claiming that there is no such thing as objective reality. Y'know- they'll define gravity as optional next.

[evrgreen.livejournal.com]

I totally agree!

Opinion & speculation are simply being repeated over and over again, until people interpret things as fact simply because they've heard it a thousand times. Facts are dead and passe'. You want the truth?!?!? Well, you can't handle the truth..

Sorry, got carried away in movie mode.