The flowers appear on the earth, the time of the singing of birds has come…

May has come, bringing warm temperatures to the Foothills. I had predicted 70s, but we actually reached into the 80s! The winds of earlier this week have subsided leaving behind beautiful and clear Spring days. Looking ahead into next week, the temperature should cool down and there will be a chance of a few showers Tuesday or Wednesday. Daytime highs in the mid 70s and nighttime lows in the low 50s are predicted. Even with advanced technologies used in meteorology, weather prediction is not always dependable.

Let’s go back to May 1932. The following is a weather report issued by U.S. Weather Bureau Office N.Y.: Noon EST – westerly winds. E. Atlantic situation clearing up satisfactorily. Sky half to heavy cloud cover. Showers, but visibility good.

With this information Amelia Earhart took off and became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic by airplane. In regard to the beginning of her flight, she said, “…was smooth sailing for me.” The rest of the time? “Well, you’ve got to expect bad weather out in the Atlantic,” she shared.

After flying nonstop for 15 hours through severe weather, a broken altimeter and gas gauge and other problems, she landed safely in a field outside Londonberry. With this experience she recognized the need for more complete meteorological data for aviators.

In her words, “The fast-flying sturdy airships of the future can set their courses to avoid these storms.” Thank you, Amelia Earhart!

Thanks to a local weather watcher my rain total for this season has been updated. Due to a failure, of my gauge, I lost some data. So, now the rain total for the season (and counting) is 28.71 inches. Enjoy the weather! This is a perfect time of year in the Crescenta Valley.

Sue Kilpatrick is a longtime CV resident and amateur weather watcher. Reach her at suelkilpatrick@gmail.com.