First Posted: 2/23/2015
Let’s see now, that’s one, two, three … 17…. the final 17 days of February where temperatures failed to get above the 32-degree freezing mark.
Then Sunday morning, we turn the page to a new month and awaken to a blanket of snow and another forecast that the high temperature won’t cross the freezing zone. But maybe that’s a good thing — you know, the old saying: “If March comes in like a lion, it goes out like a lamb.”
John Taylor of the National Weather Service office in North Webster, Indiana, sees it that way.
“The end is in sight,” he says. Of course in the next breath he adds, “We’re going to have another cold spell later in the week, but it should be a pretty quick shot.”
That did it! Enough.
I give up. Uncle. No mas.
I’m throwing in the towel. You won, Mother Nature. I’m on my hands and knees, begging you please … give us some warmer weather. Let us cross that 32-degree mark.
How bad was it in February?
Only one person — the area’s weather guru, Guy Verhoff, of Pandora — can put an accountant’s numbers to it. On Friday, said the average high temperature for February was 15 degrees, “and that’s with a 47-degree day on Feb. 8.”
Strange. I don’t recall such a warm day, but I do remember those 11 days of “below zero” temperatures in February. They’re frozen in my mind. On Friday, it dropped to the lowest temperature of the year at minus 9 degrees and Saturday the month clocked out with a low of minus 2 degrees. Then there were those six straight days of below zero low temperatures from Feb. 15 through Feb. 20, including a day of minus 7 temperatures when some editor thought it would be cool to send fellow associates Craig Orosz and Chip Moreo out to Lima Lake to auger a hole in the ice. It was 13½ inches, which I’m told is thick enough to hold a car (but don’t try it!).
“Yes, one-third of February has had low temperatures below zero,” Verhoff said, matter-of-factly, also noting the average minimum temperature for the month through Friday was 5.9 degrees.
This makes the second February in a row the region has experienced extremely cold weather in February. And while this year’s temperatures were colder overall, Verhoff reminds us a year ago temperatures were more extreme with a reading of minus 19 on Feb. 12 and two readings of minus 12.
Blame it on those cold winds coming out of north central Canada, says the National Weather Service.
All I know is I’m glad February is over. Now, let’s bring on those warm winds off the Gulf of Mexico.
ROSES AND THORNS: The price is right this week in the rose garden.
Rose: Just less than 1,700 people came on down to the Civic Center as the “Price is Right Live” game show made a stop in Lima.
Rose: To Gina Wiley and dancers from her local studio, Dancer by Gina. The group will be performing at halftime of the Cleveland Cavaliers/Boston Celtics game in Cleveland on Tuesday.
Rose: To the Lovejoy brothers, Cody and Colt, who are having outstanding wrestling seasons at Ohio Northern University. They are graduates of Allen East High School.
Rose: To the Rev. Dennis Walsh. The graduate of Elida High School returns to the area as the new pastor of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Delphos.
Rose: To Freeman Bryson, of Shawnee High School, who won the logo contest for the Lima Public Library’s book bash.
Thorn: A government error leaves Alan Tyrrell, owner of Uncle Al’s Pizza in Gomer, potentially paying thousands of dollars to clear up the corporate status of the 30-year-old business.
PARTING SHOT: Going too far is half the pleasure of not getting anywhere.
