# Ask the weatherman! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 26, 2000, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-weatherman/23608 "2000-06-26T19:25:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Viscera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/258eb7/32.png) [@Viscera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Viscera)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2000, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-weatherman/23608/1 "2000-06-26T19:25:16Z")
Ah well, screw it. I’m jumping on the bandwagon. 🙂 Ask me anything about weather, and I’ll do my damndest to answer it. Some replies may be delayed, but I’ll be checking at least once a day. Qualifications: 4-yr B.S. degree (graduated last year), currently working as a tropical storm fixer and satellite analyst. I have not done forecasting (except that which was required for the degree), but I’m sure I can answer a good number of questions, or refer to other sources if I cannot. My specialties are severe weather, tropical weather, and forecasting (although not operational). I have some friends that work with private consulting firms, the National Weather Service, and some TV stations. If you have a broadcasting question that I don’t know, it may take a bit longer to research. Take care all. ---
**Author:** ![KCB615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@KCB615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KCB615)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2000, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-weatherman/23608/2 "2000-06-26T19:36:06Z")
Why are you guys always wrong? :::duks and runs::: ---
**Author:** ![KCB615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@KCB615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KCB615)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2000, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-weatherman/23608/3 "2000-06-26T19:36:43Z")
ducks, I meant ducks. Grrrrr… ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2000, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-weatherman/23608/4 "2000-06-26T19:37:41Z")
Ok weather guy, I’ll bite. I was wondering about the weather and the way it seems to affect me. To be more precise, when there are storms rolling in, I get migraine headaches to the extent that I’m down for the count for a couple days. At this point, following numerous visits with doctors and tests, and all kinds of other stuff, the weather seems to be the only trigger. Am I nuts, or is this a fairly common phenomenon? ---
**Author:** ![Viscera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/258eb7/32.png) [@Viscera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Viscera)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2000, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-weatherman/23608/5 "2000-06-26T19:49:03Z")
From KCB615: > [@](#): > > **Why are you guys always wrong?** Well, if we were always right, it would be too boring, and no one would have any morning conversation. 😉 From Missy2U: > [@](#): > > **I was wondering about the weather and the way it seems to affect me. Am I nuts, or is this a fairly common phenomenon?** Not really _weather_, more medical, but it is fairly common. People, and animals, to some degree are affected by the weather. Often it is due to change in pressure (achy joints), or nervousness/jitteriness due to apraoching storms (for example). Since I’m not really well-versed in this area (can’t even think of anyone that really is), I’m not sure of an exact answer. Hope this helps to some degree, sorry I can’t help you further. Maybe you can try Doctor J’s “Ask a doctor thread” in this forum. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Gretchen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Miss\_Gretchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Gretchen)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2000, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-weatherman/23608/6 "2000-06-26T23:50:04Z")
Hey! I’m currently in year #2 of a four-year B.Sc. in geography, and I’m planning to do something along the lines of what you’re doing! I thought I was the only one! Where did you go to school? How’d you come across this career path? Mind if I e-mail you w/ some met. related queries? ---
**Author:** ![Sue\_Duhnym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@Sue\_Duhnym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sue_Duhnym)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2000, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-weatherman/23608/7 "2000-06-26T23:53:47Z")
What is a tropical depression? How can anything be depressing in the tropics? ---
**Author:** ![Viscera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/258eb7/32.png) [@Viscera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Viscera)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2000, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-weatherman/23608/8 "2000-06-27T12:45:53Z")
**Miss Gretchen:** > [@](#): > > \*\*1. Where did you go to school? > 2. How’d you come across this career path? > 3. Mind if I e-mail you w/ some met. related queries? \*\* 1. I went to Valparaiso University, NW Indiana. 2. Just always loved weather, I guess. 3. Nope, don’t mind in the slightest. E-mail away. **Sue Duhnym:** > [@](#): > > **What is a tropical depression? How can anything be depressing in the tropics?** Technical speak here, a tropical depression is a disturbance in the tropics that develops a closed circulation (i.e. one closed isobar). It typically has winds in the 25-30kt (30-35mph) range. For the second question, when one is used to sun all the time, an area of clouds and rain is depressing. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Viscera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/258eb7/32.png) [@Viscera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Viscera)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2000, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-weatherman/23608/9 "2000-06-27T13:40:10Z")
STILL don’t know why you can’t edit your own posts, but to edit my last post, a tropical depression has a closed circulation that reaches a wind speed of 27 kts (31mph). A tropical disturbance (weaker than a depression) may or may not have a closed circulation. Source: Glossary of Meteorology, 1959 edition. (yeah, it’s old, but I don’t think the definition has changed much) ---
**Author:** ![cygnus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@cygnus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cygnus)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2000, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-weatherman/23608/10 "2000-06-28T17:06:48Z")
Some time ago, someone remarked that they had the local weather radar map as their screen saver. Can you tell me how I can do that? (I asked in that thread but never got an answer.) I have the sneaky feeling that this is actually an “ask some computer dude” question, but asking the weatherman seems so much more inviting. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2000, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-weatherman/23608/11 "2000-06-28T17:42:30Z")
Is it true that “you don’t need to be a weatherman to know which way the wind blows”?