Why Do Big Storms Always Seem To Miss St. Cloud?
I fell for it again.
With rain and thunderstorms in the forecast for Thursday night, I raced home to bring in the patio cushions and other assorted items our toddler decided to leave out that might blow away.
With the winds picking up, I heroically brought in all the stuff and battened down the hatches for what looked to be a significant storm. And, as usual, I was disappointed as the storm seemed to break up around the St. Cloud area before firing back up near the cities.
I have heard a few theories as to why this might be the case. The first theory is that the granite in the area has some sort of effect on the weather. I have actually asked St. Cloud State professor Bob Weisman about this, and he says there is no scientific reason that the granite would cause any change in weather patterns.
Another popular theory for this anecdotal phenomenon is an urban heat island effect, with the pavement in the metro area causing the weather to vary from the more rural areas surrounding it.
Weisman said this theory doesn't really fly either, as the urban heat island effect is more related to temperatures than precipitation.
The third, and most ridiculous, theory I have heard since I moved here is that Native Americans cursed the area for some reason or another. I don't even know how to respond to that one.
Even though it seems like storms miss St. Cloud very often, there has not been any scientific evidence or even a reasonable theory as to why this would happen.