A Rumble on the horizon

Some people look forward to crocuses popping through the soil or the buds forming on the trees. Others notice the animals shedding their extra hair preparing for the warmer temperatures.

I appreciate the warmer temperatures of spring and the ease that comes with them of getting the kids out the door. They don’t have to don snow pants and find where their boots ended up (even though they know they left them in the entry way where they belong. Gnomes, I’m sure it’s gnomes that move them when we aren’t watching.) We can even corals the roaming mittens to one location.

It’s freeing to get outside for runs with shorts and a T-shirt instead of the layers of jackets, tights, and ear-warmers.

But my favorite thing about spring is thunderstorms. I love watching for the flash of lightning and counting until the rumble of the thunder. Growing up, I would watch the dark clouds roll across the field to the west of our house. Living in town now, I don’t get to see the storm on the horizon.

With technology though, I can study radar images and look at prediction models to see what weather is coming our way. The radars will show storms developing over Wisconsin and then their progression over Lake Michigan. The big question is always what will the lake do to the storm? The storm could pick up moisture from the lake and dump more on us, or the cooler temperature could cut the energy of the storm and it will fizzle as it comes on to the shore. On a local weather blog, they call Lake Michigan ‘the Shredder.’

I don’t wish storm damage or danger for anyone, nor do I want to chase storms. We experienced golf ball sized hail on a trip to South Dakota while driving to our campsite. That was wild enough. But I find the power and wonder of nature fascinating.