Expectations

Most days never turn out like you expect. When it comes to chasing the light accompanying storms that couldn’t be truer. The weather, like much of life, rarely turns out exactly as forecasted. I’m not a meteorologist by any stretch and I am in awe of those who are – weather forecasting is like trying to quantify chaos.

I have seen a tornado, and heard of tornados, on days when prognosticators said there wasn’t a chance, and not seen tornados on days when dozens of storm chasers – some of them seasoned prognosticators – are out looking because the folks said the conditions were definitely conducive to making tornados. It ain’t easy.

June 10, 2020 was one of those days when expectations not only came out as forecasted but exceeded those expectations. It’s rare but it happens.

The remnants of an early tropical storm, called Cristobal, were scheduled to roll through southern Ontario and bring warm, moist air along for the ride. Once Cristobal passed north of us, a squall line was forecasted to come around and through southern Ontario bringing some substantial winds and the threat of possible tornados. We ended up getting five; five tornados on a day when they said tornados looked to be in the forecast. Expectations met.

“That twirl involves turbulence, the last great problem in classical physics. As Einstein is supposed to have put it: ‘Before I die, I hope someone will clarify quantum physics for me. After I die, I hope God will explain turbulence to me…(but I wouldn’t want to embarrass God by asking him.)'”

Turbulence by Giles Foden