The following is an overheard conversation that occurred a few weeks ago outside the NorthPark Mall in Dallas, Texas:
“The sun is the highest I’ve ever seen it.”
“No, it’s the highest in the sky that you’ve seen the sun since last June 20, 2012. This is June 21, 2013. It’s the summer solstice.”
“What’s that?”
“In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice is the first official day of summer. It’s the day when our sun, ‘sol’, appears to stand still, ‘stice’, as high up in the sky as it will get. After the summer solstice, that burning fireball reverses its path and starts moving south again. Today, on the summer solstice, the northern half of our planet enjoys the most sun, the most daylight, of the whole year.”
“Cool.”
“No, warm, even hot, because on this day up here in the north you see more of our star than any other day.”
“Is this as hot as it will get?”
“Nope, this is Texas, it will get hotter.”
“Even though . . . the days will get shorter?”
“Yep?”
“Why?”
“The short answer is the atmosphere is recovering from the cold weather and heating up slowly. The more precise answer goes something like this: Even though the heat input is at maximum on the solstice day, the rate of heat input (gain) striking the Earth continues to be greater than the rate of heat dissipation (loss) from the Earth for some time. In fact, through much of the summer, more heat is entering the Northern Hemisphere than is leaving. So, until the days get much shorter and the heat loss exceeds the heat gain, the average daytime temperature keeps increasing. As autumn approaches, the balance falls back, and the shorter days start to become cooler.”
“Cool.”
“Right. I knew you’d get it.”
“But . . . now it’s getting hotter?”
“You got it there — fry-an-egg-on-the-street-and-eat-it-with-hot-sauce, hotter-in-Texas hot. And, here is a picture of the egg popping in its frying pan on the concrete:
“For that egg, you will, of course, need a liberal ladeling of hotter-than-hot Texas hot sauce. So, for you to try, here’s a local bottle of one of our favorite salsas with its fire-engine red label, jalapeno man with shades and the warm warning: “Not Responsible for Obsession.”
“To salvage those burning taste buds, you quickly pick some cooling mint:
“Then, you rush into the kitchen, where Ms. Mary crushes that fresh mint into a pitcher of ice water with fresh lime for that oh so refresing: Ms. Mary’s Summer Mint Water:
“Smacking your lips and beginning to feel your mouth again after your jentacular repast from the street, you stare at the quintessential Dallas, Texas summer bloom — the white crepe myrtle:
“Responding to a hushed cry from inside, you rush back to spy the rising Texas sun burning through the roofs of Uptown Dallas:
“Swiveling your head, you catch the mists before the Opera in Paris, France evaporating at the solar assault of the Lone Star State, as you quickly pull the shades and save the scene:
“As a matter of fact, I just looked into my crystal ball and the temperature in Dallas will hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius) for the first time next Thursday, June 27th. On Friday, June 28th, the triple digits will soar to 104 degrees F (40 C), dropping back to 100 F on Saturday, followed by a cool front.”
“Cool. Why?”
“Because the weather in Texas is unpredictable. You know that?”
“How cool?”
“Well, today, if today were Monday, July 1st (and it is, but don’t tell everyone), the high at 3:53 pm was 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31.1 degrees Celsius), and that’s really cool for a high in Dallas in July.”
“If that were today (and I’m confused, because I thought we started talking today, June 21st), then what would be tonight’s low — whatever night it is?”
“You are perfectly right to be confused, because today is June 21st and today is July 1st, and the predicted low on July 1, 2013, tonight, is 64 degrees F (17.8 C).”
“Cool . . . I think.”
“You can say and think that again (but, please don’t), because the average low for this evening in Dallas has been 75 F (23.9 C), for a predicted difference of -11 degrees F (-6.1 C) with where tonight is going.”
“Will it actually be that cool in the middle of the beginning of a hot summer?”
“I don’t know. I can’t predict the future. Can you?”
“Tomorrow, I can . . . I think.”
“Cool.”
* * *
And, you stay cool in the hot weather, if you can – even if you have to jump back and forth, fry an egg on the sidewalk, cover breakfast with hot sauce and gulp a big glass of Ms. Mary’s Summer Mint Water to stay refreshed and have fun with the sun.
Happy Summer!!
Grandpa Jim