THE AUGUST SNAP

In meteorology, a cold snap is a period of intensely cold and dry weather; sometimes meteorologists call it a cold wave.

Well!  A few years ago, trying to keep from total despair at our weather patterns, particularly in the summer (definition – a too long, too hot, too dry period), I noticed that in August of some years we would have a period when we would get a brief relief from 100-plus days and little or no rain.  Now that relief would perhaps be nothing more than a drop from 100-plus to temps in the nineties, and maybe with only a brief summer shower, but that would be enough to encourage weary plants and weary people that better times, weather-wise, were coming.  And I call it the August snap.  Not cold, not even cool, but a definite change.

Night before last we finally got some relief after two months of bitter, record-setting heat and a total for the two-month period of 4 tenths of an inch.  And this relief is sweet.  Almost two inches of rain right where we are, cooler temperatures (not cool, mind, but cooler), and a lovely breeze and cloud cover that make all the difference.  Overnight, the trees and grass and plants look like they feel better.  And I know we sure do.

Now I know full well that this respite won’t last.  We’ll go back to periods of too-high temps and we’ll probably not get any significant rain for several more weeks, but this snap is just wonderful for now and a little bit of encouragement that better weather times are coming, a little bit of relief when we surely need it.

And I know that next year about this time, I’ll be complaining and saying, “Come on, it's August, where’s that snap?”