“He needs to spread his arms a bit more to protect us.”
         ~ Alan Campbell, British sculler (rower) while looking towards the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue towering over the lagoon venue in Rio.
On the first day of the 2016 Olympic Summer Games strong winds blew across the waters of the Rodrigo Lagoon – the site of the rowing events. Two Serbian rowers capsized in the choppy water while other athletes struggled to stay in their boats. Stunned and soaked, they were pulled from the water and allowed to finish the qualifying race.

Many felt the races should have been postponed due to the wind conditions. Prior to the start of the games, the athletes voiced concerns about the polluted water and their attempts to avoid contact with it. The U.S. rowing team donned antimicrobial suits and oars were sanitized with Clorox bleach. Avoiding contact became impossible as the winds picked up the oars that hit the water, splashing and blowing spray onto the rowers’ faces and into their mouths. But as one would expect of Olympic athletes, they were not deterred and the event was completed in its entirety. Perhaps divine protection was warranted!

As mentioned, these Olympic Games (as do most) come with their unique and often challenging idiosyncrasies. But while watching the road cycling event these problems seemingly disappeared as bicyclists made their way along the expansive white sandy beaches and sparkling turquoise waters; not to be missed was the lush green backdrop. Geographically, Rio is located in the Southern Hemisphere, close to the equator, and is classified as a subtropical moist forest biome. Monthly temperatures vary by only 10 degrees and annual rainfall total averages 60 inches. Rio de Janeiro is truly a tropical paradise.

What about weather at our humble location in the Northern Hemisphere? It can be defined by a single word: summer. We’ve enjoyed a brief respite from the heat; but it’s only August and thermometers will rise again. A cooling fog may linger along the coast, but the to-be-expected summer heat resumes further inland, i.e. La Crescenta. Beginning Friday high pressure moves in and temperatures are expected to reach 100 degrees. My own non-meteorologist prediction thinks 105 degrees is more likely. Over the next week, the forecast calls for more of the same.

Other weather observations…
¬– Competing with the Olympic Games is the annual Perseid meteor shower that peaks Thursday and Friday nights. Viewing conditions: 70 degrees with clear skies.

– Out and about, it was noticed that dog walkers often forget to check the surface temperature that their pup’s paws touch. Ouch!

– Scarecrows, with little notice, are slowly arriving at local stores – a sure sign the days of summer are numbered!

Sue Kilpatrick is a
Crescenta Valley resident and
Official Skywarn Spotter for the
National Weather Service. Reach her at  suelkilpatrick@gmail.com.