We’ve had a real witch-hunt the past several days for big snow. I’ll begin by again stressing that the storm we are talking about still hasn’t formed. The system from the Northwest is just getting going and when it reaches the Gulf Coast on Monday, then an area of low pressure will form somewhere in SE Texas. Its that low that will run our direction that is causing all of the hub-bub. As it forms it will hold up the front and the cold air. As it moves up our way it will draw up alot of moisture and warm air at all levels. Right now, all indications remain as we have been saying all along. This should be mainly a rain event for us with rain starting late Monday as the low moves up and the rain carrying into much of Tuesday. As the low passes the front will move through and the temperatures will fall. Any wrap around moisture would fall as snow. At this point, it appears we can expect 1-3 inches of rain and very little snow. There is a general consensus with the data for this. What will remain to be seen is, once the low forms, then we can find out if it behaves itself. But, at this time, there is nothing that supports the perhaps wishful notion that we will get a bunch of snow but there is every indication that we will have some high clouds and mild conditions on Sunday…so get out and enjoy it and stop chasing shadows. We’ll let you know if it changes.
On This Date in History: In late 1691 and early 1692, some girls in Salem, Massachusetts began to scream that devils were pinching them, convulsing and doing all sorts of twitching. They were fed what were called “witch cakes” and they subsequently began accusing a bunch of women of hanging out with Satan! The doctor was called and the diagnosis was an acute case of suffering from witchcraft. After hearing the diagnosis, the girls confirmed the diagnosis. On this date in 1692, the infamous Salem Witch Trials began. Nearly 150 people, mainly women, were accused of consulting with the Devil!! By the middle of the year, some 19 people had been hanged…well….18 were hanged…some poor man named Giles Corey was executed by pressing. By October 1692, Governor of the Massachusetts Colony William Phipps brought an end to the nonsense and all trials were halted, the accused released and there were no more hangings or pressings.
Here is an interesting theory of what really happened. The girls had eaten grain contaminated with the fungus ergot. Ergot is largely made up of an alkaloid. That alkaloid is lysergic acid amide which has properties very similar to lysergic acid diethylamide which is best known today as LSD. Yes indeed, it is possible the Salem Witch Trials could have been caused by girls dropping acid.
No word on whether the girls’ hallucinations included a call for a snow storm.
