Who's having a ball?

It's safe to say "they've been having a ball" the past few weeks. It might be more accurate to say "the past several months." No, we're not talking about the Cards or the Royals or even the Naturals. Their records this year have been mixed. So, who are the "they" I've referenced?

They are certain people who ply their skills and opinions every day. Sometimes their prognostications are well received; sometimes they are way off base. Of course, usually through no fault of their own. That eliminates the political self-appointed experts and panel members on those so-called "opinion" channels ... i.e. CableOpinionNewsNetwork. But, just who are "they"?

You're right if you guessed "they" are the weather forecasters who fill the TV screens and phone apps with their forecasts, their explanations and, sometimes, their warnings. Their services really are appreciated even though sometimes the information they provide is ... well, sort of like when a runner tries to steal second and is thrown out by an alert and accurate catcher. Sometimes weather experts are thrown a fastball-curve by Mother Nature which is passed along to local stations and, well, you know. But back to the question, "How have they been having a ball"?

This has been a crazy weather year, hasn't it? But isn't almost every year an unpredictable 365 days? And isn't it easy to forget from year to year? After several recent mild winters without snow and not-so-hot summers our recent hot/cool, dry/wet days have nudged the prognosticators (that word again) to look at their records and compare today's readings with those of the past, especially: Is this the hottest year? When is the last time it was 100? These plyers of precipitation have been having a ball ... and especially when they can tell their listeners all the facts and comparisons.

You guessed it ... it got my gray matter in gear to check the local records dating back to 1926. Having trudged more than a hundred miles during the last almost 40 years of record keeping, it's just fun to join in the fun. In fact, it's been fun keeping records. And to put the story straight, it is a fun volunteer "job" for hundreds of record keepers throughout the nation who provide statistics to NOAA ... even when you're wading in six or eight inches of snow, estimating its depth and melting the collection in a cylinder to see if that six-inch snow has produced a quarter inch of moisture.

Let's just take a short look at how the sizzling days that just ended July compare with past years, which include some of the hottest years in Westside Eagle country: What is the hottest day recorded at the Gravette "station"? That term is loosely used; it's merely a little structure that houses thermometers and includes a nearby cylinder that collects rain and other precip. So, here goes ...

The hottest temp, according to those 92-year records, occurred Aug. 19, 1936, when the mercury soared to 114 degrees. That figure was matched 75 years later, just seven years ago, on Aug. 2, 2011.

The hottest summers in the area were during the dust bowl days of the 1930s, with 1936 being the hottest when the temp reached the century mark, and above, 57 days that year during June, July and August. Two years earlier, 1934, the number was 41 such hot days, the hottest being 113 on Aug. 11. That mark also occurred on July 13, 1954, a year that area residents can probably recall. There were 42 such 100-plus days that summer. The local observer, Elson Schmidt, wrote in his July report: "Hottest, most damaging month ever experienced. Water extremely low." That's enough. Let's move on to other "C" (conglomeration) topics:

Promise: No more weather until the end of the year ... except for unusual happenings, gray matter explanations or just because the weather is such an available topic.

Surprise! There will probably be no sweet gum tree ball report this year. The unexpected cold snap killed the blossoms, along with those on the buckeye tree. Such a shame. Even though the sweet gum balls are a nuisance, the squirrels really like buckeyes.

A pet peeve involves those weather broadcasts that show area maps on the screen. Each station seems to run a big banner across the top, bragging on its radar, along with a station logo and sometimes even an ad. It blocks out much of the top half of the map, which usually includes Benton County, with info that is also included along the bottom, the logo, time, temp, etc.

Just a brief second peeve: When the weather reporter blocks much of the edges of the map and other info when there is plenty of room to step a little to the side.

There ... that's having a ball this week. Maybe the weather will settle down, omit the storms, provide rain as needed and keep it nice for the Decatur BBQ Aug. 4 and Gravette Day which is Saturday, Aug. 11. Come and enjoy these like you did at Gentry's Freedom Fest.

Dodie Evans is the former owner and long-time editor of the Gravette News Herald. Opinions expressed are those of the author.