Weather Wizard: Forecasting from Italy

I stare blankly out the window. It’s hot, so hot, my whole self is uncomfortable, agitated that I’ve put myself in this situation. My gaze remains blank, too hot to expend the energy to focus on any particular object.

Rows of corn whiz by as if someone was rifling through a deck of cards, only to be broken up by grey-green vineyard. A rocky outcropping rises quickly from one corner of the window, devours the view and then fades as quickly as it came. I muster the strength to focus on a palm tree, its motionless fronds hanging listlessly amongst the cedars and cypress, arranged together separating two yellow fields.

The heat must be getting the better of me as I slowly close my eyes, a hard slow blink. I open them quickly and dramatically, ushering away the sweat leaking from my brows. Another palm appears and then another; I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore. And I’m not, I’m on a convection oven of a train, in Italy, heading south from Milan.

The rhythm of the train is doing its best to console me, its rhythmic beat sounds like a Johnny Cash baseline, ompa ompa ompa ompa. The elderly Italian ladies, finely dressed, have formed an alliance to keep the windows on the train barely open, as to not disturb their hair with the wind.

The sights continually stream into view but the visual data takes longer to process in the heat. The beauty vastly outweighs any discomfort. Italy is foreign to me but the landscape is not. It appears strikingly similar to that of Door County: old farm equipment cemeteries, fields of corn, vineyards, albeit less expansive. Change out the lemon trees for cherry trees and with the exception of the palms, I could be easily fooled to think I am still in Door County. I have shifted 96 degrees longitudinally to the east, but remain at nearly the same parallel, 45 degrees.

Your weekend forecast:

An interesting weather theme continues in Door County this weekend. Yet again, as has been the case for most of the summer, we have a low-pressure system moving through on Thursday. This low pressure is followed by an upper level trough that’s associated with the front. This front will bring cooler temperatures and less humidity. There will likely be rain lingering on Friday morning, but will exit stage right (east) in the afternoon. There might be a pop-up shower or two during the heat of the day Saturday. Sunday will grace us with abundant sunshine and low humidity.

Friday: mostly cloudy, chance of rain in the morning; high near 81

Saturday: partly sunny; high near 75

Sunday: mostly sunny; high near 76

All weather predictions are based in science with information gathered from the National Weather Service, and are subject to change depending on the weather.

Growing up in Michigan, Ryan Heise began keeping a fishing journal detailing the weather conditions at and can still recall his hometown weatherman’s name. His fascination with weather has never wavered and began to heighten when planning surf trips while living in Florida. Now proud to call Door County home along with his wife Mary and dog Ruby, he has found a new fascination with the unique microclimate of Door County.