Changeable Weather

We walked to the grocery store. It's in the low 40s today. It was partly sunny when we left home, and remained that way throughout the 15-20 minute walk.

But when we left the store, it began to sprinkle. Then it began to rain. Then the wind began to blow and it rained harder. It rained all the way home, and we were soaked by the time we got back.

By the time we got our clothes changed and the wet things hung up to dry, the sun was shining again.

People in the Midwest often say things like, "If you don't like the weather, just wait a bit, and it will change." But the weather in England is even more changeable than in Iowa. It changes minute by minute.

It changes so much that forecasts don't even try to pinpoint what will happen. The weather reports are almost always for the whole country, or regional at best. They are usually very general. Here is today's forecast for the East Midlands (where Nottingham is):

"Showers dying out to leave it dry and mostly clear, with lighter winds, allowing temperatures to fall quickly, with a widespread slight frost developing. Late in the night thickening cloud and outbreaks of rain, with some hill snow, will arrive."

In other words, it's going to rain awhile some places, then it will quit, then it will rain again. And it may get below freezing in some places.

And they could post that same forecast everyday for the month and it would be just as accurate. Just like horoscopes are sometimes vague enough to ring true.