“Juicy” Weather?
posted by Elizabeth Nowicki
The torrential rains rode into Virginia on tropical winds that were “very juicy” with moisture and were blocked from blowing out over the Atlantic Ocean, said meteorologist Dave Lawrence of the weather service’s Blacksburg [Virginia] office.
- Kiran Krishnamurthy, City Braces for Storms, Rich. Times Disp., June 27, 2006
It is raining up and down the east coast, and, not only have I never seen rain like this, I have never heard of weather being described as “juicy.”
Please allow me to back up:
I thought I was used to precipitation and random weather, it all its glorious forms. In upstate New York, where I grew up, it basically snows for a minimum of five months per year. Snow, sleet, freezing rain – wet stuff and lots of it. In Brattleboro, Vermont, where I clerked, it snows for closer to eight months, and I now know how to stop my car without ever touching the brakes (one “coasts” to a stop on perpetually frozen terrain). In California, where I practiced law for a few years, I got used to body-wrenching winds that did not let up for five weeks straight (these winds are lovingly called “the Santa Anas”) and the drenching rains that followed. And, upon moving to Richmond, VA, four years ago, I became comfortable with nine months of unrelenting humidity and a lengthy hurricane/tornado season (always have a case of water on hand; sleep in the hallway).
So, up until recently, I really did fancy myself a bit of a “Renaissance Woman,” in terms of culture, weather, atmospheric sciences, and environmental adaptation. I owned a generator big enough to run my entire home (in the event of a power outage due to rain, sleet, snow, or wind), I had outer-wear appropriate for any and every weather condition, I knew tips for driving safely (as needed) in any sort of weather calamity, and I could have a weather discussion in the local parlance of venues across the nation:
In California, as we peer through the February dust storms, watching the palm trees sway violently to and fro, knowing that soon the daily downpour would clear the dust, we chuckle and say “Well, the weather is perfect the other 330 days of the year!”
In Richmond, when the humidity is stifling and our clothes are glued to our skin, we smile pleasantly and say to each other “It is feeling a bit ‘close’ out there today, isn’t it?”
In upstate New York, when it is snowing for the 18th straight day, and the meteorologists are predicting 11 inches of snow in the next four hours, we say . . . nothing. We pretend we do not even notice the snow. To complain about the piles and piles of snow in upstate New York is to expose your weak underbelly.
In New York City, when we stand body to body on the stifling, smelly, summer subway, we sway sweatily (is that a word?) and ask “Where is your [weekend beach home]share this summer?”
And in Brattleboro, Vermont, when we watch the snow pile up outside our office windows, we ask “Are you cutting out early [to go ski, for the dirt cheap rates that all of the big mountains nearby offer Vt. residents on weekdays]?”
The weather we have recently been having up and down the east coast, however, has me baffled. I am not sure how to casually discuss weather like this. What do I say to:
1. My parents, who are being deluged in New York
or
2. My beltway buddies, who are being flooded off the roads
or
3. My fellow Richmonders, who are feeling a bit . . . *ahem*. . . damp
What sort of casual comment does one make when discussing absurd weather like this? Am I *really* supposed to say “It’s good and juicy out there, isn’t it?”
June 27, 2006 at 2:30 pm
Posted in: Uncategorized
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Responses (5)
Bruce - June 27, 2006 at 9:30 pm
Greetings fellow ex-upstater! I take it you’re from near Albany. I grew up in Rouses Point — try getting more “upstate” than that!
As for conversation, I suggest asking how the ark is coming.
John Armstrong - June 28, 2006 at 1:39 am
I just made the drive from DC up to New Haven for a bit of end-of-month business. Actual exchange with a friend in Falls Church on my arrival.
Me: godD*** it’s humid up in here.
Him: It’s humid here too.
Him: But in liquid form.
Elizabeth Nowicki - June 29, 2006 at 7:08 am
Outstanding comments, both.
Bruce, you get the “upstate” award. I’m from Albany, though I will be in Ithaca next year.
Rugby Fan Steve - August 1, 2006 at 4:24 pm
Rugby players spend a lot of time physical training Compared to other form of sports.I have read the
Rugby laws mentioned on this site. It’s a gripping sport which targets the grip strength and the active mindedness of a player. American football and rugby league are also primarily collision sports, but their tackles tend to terminate much more quickly. For professional rugby, players are often chosen on the basis of their size and apparent strength and they develop the skill and power over the passage of time. In modern rugby considerable attention is given to fitness and aerobic conditioning as well as basic weight training.
Bruce Boyden - August 1, 2006 at 4:54 pm
Rugby spam? That’s a new one.
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