Navy
Forecast:
“There is a seaman joke in there somewhere”
Chief D-7 Meteorologist Bob Wevodau
It has finally arrived, the 2005 football season. Time to begin to erase the nightmare that was 2004. What better way to begin the march than to face off with the only other Divison I football program in the state. Yes the Maryland-Navy game is back. The old rivalry was put to rest after Navy complained about the Maryland students behavior (who us??). Ralph thought this would be a great rivalry to re-ignite and you know what, once again he is right. I also like the fact that we will face the Middies the year after they have graduated one of their most celebrated classes in team history (you pick up a lot of Middie info living in Nap-town). This game will be held in the biggest football stadium, in the biggest city, in the 42nd biggest state and all eyes in the Free State will be watching. It may not be Auburn-Bama, but for instate rivalries, this is the best we can do. Now on to the weather.
A common misconception many people have is that since the calendar has been changed from August to September and all the kids are back in school, it must be fall. Well not quite. It is actually still pretty damn hot in the Mid Atlantic in the month of September, or at least early September. The average high for September 3rd in Baltimore, MD is 82F°. The low is about 61F°. The record high for the date is 97F° (1898) and the record low is 46F° (1967). Those both appear safe for the time being.
After waiting for what seemed to be an eternity, the Farmers Almanac has finally posted their forecast for the month of September. I know I could just spend the 2 dollars in the drug store and buy it but times are tight in our house since we had to replace the old air conditioner, and if we have an extra cash to throw around it is going towards beer. Anyway, the farmers are calling for Thunderstorms moving off the coast on the 1st or 2nd followed by pleasant weather on the 3rd. That sounds pretty good. So with the final piece of my forecast puzzle in place here is my forecast for the Turtle Goat game:
The forecast for the September 3, 2005 “Old Line Classic” game is for perfect football weather. The long wait that is the off season is finally over and we are going to be rewarded with a picturesque day. Were talking one of those days where the sky is so blue, you can’t help but stare at it and wonder if you are ever going to see another cloud. The morning temp should most likely be right around the average which I will call 65 degrees, the afternoon will warm up quickly under the crystal clear skies and we will have no problem hitting the 80 mark. I am forecasting 82, but don’t be surprised if we end up passing that and going 85 or so. In the interest of public safety, I am issuing a code red sunburn watch. For all us pasties out there, bring some protection.
The game day sunrise for Baltimore, Maryland on September 3rd is for 6:37 am. And the sunset is scheduled for 7:33 pm which should occur around half time. Make sure those stadium lights are working because their will not be a moon out on the 3rd. The astronomical term is a “new” moon, which is quite appropriate to kick off the 2005 season.
Look here for further updates, as we get closer to game day.
The X-Factor: Just to show you some extremes that could happen and have happened on this particular date in weather history.
1821 - A hurricane made landfall at Long Island then moved through western Connecticut. The hurricane produced a record tide at New York City. (David Ludlum). We won’t need help from a hurricane to sink Navy.
1953 - The temperature at Erie PA reached 99 degrees, and Stroudsburg PA established a state record for September with a reading of 106 degrees. (The Weather Channel). Those Terps were also red hot in 1953.
1961 - Denver, CO, received 4.2 inches of snow, their earliest snow of record. (Sandra and TI Richard Sanders - 1987). This is why I’m glad we aren’t in the Big 12.
1970 - During the early evening hours, in the midst of a severe hailstorm at Coffeyville KS, a stone 17.5 inches in circumference and nearly two pounds in weight was recovered. It was the largest measured hailstone in U.S. weather records. Average stone size from the storm was five inches in diameter, with another stone reportedly eight inches in diameter. (David Ludlum). Again, glad we aren’t in the Big 12.
1987 - Temperatures dipped into the 40s and 50s for morning lows across much of the eastern half of the country, with eleven cities reporting record lows for the date. Pellston MI tied Gunnison CO for honors as the cold spot in the nation with a low of 30 degrees. (The National Weather Summary)
1989 - Thunderstorms developing ahead of a cold front produced severe weather from Minnesota to Nebraska during the day and evening. Evening thunderstorms in Nebraska produced wind gusts to 100 mph at Valentine and Gretna, and produced baseball size hail at Lewellen. Thunderstorms in Arizona produced 2.20 inches of rain in forty minutes at Green Valley, and wind gusts to 60 mph. Eight cities in Texas and Florida reported record high temperatures for the date, including Victoria TX and San Antonio TX, each with a reading of 102 degrees. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)
***This is a disclaimer to remove all responsibility on myself if this forecast is wrong. Being that it is very difficult to predict the weather greater than 48 hours in advance, the odds of needing this disclaimer are about 100%. However I do believe this forecast will be pretty close to what we can actually look to expect.