- Dr. Barry Lynn
Weather: Colder Weather Brings Chocolate Thoughts
Illustration: Truffles (Image credit: Wix)
The debate between the air conditioner and the heater was won this past Friday night by the heater. With a long rumble of thunder and additional flashes of lightning -- and some light rain -- the warm weather of Friday was replaced by much cooler weather of Shabbat. No longer is the window open and no longer will the air conditioner cool the air.
True, this week's weather won't be particularly cold, but the nights will be on the chilly side. Some clouds and additionally some showers on Monday and (hopefully) heavier rain at the end of the week will have folks running to turn on the heat.
The cause of our winter time weather is a deepening trough in the eastern Mediterranean, which will bring the coldest weather of the fall/winter season as we head into the end of the week and early next week. The rain is not forecast to be very heavy, but it should be enough to make for a wet day or two in areas from the north to central areas (although there is still some uncertainty about how far south into central Israel the rain will get).
Jerusalem forecast (click for other forecasts):
Image credit: The Jerusalem Herald
With the cold weather comes a greater desire for something sweet to eat with a cup of hot chocolate. Thus, I was not surprised when my wife mentioned that her mother used to make a very moist and tender chocolate cake. Unfortunately, the recipe has been lost -- but not to worry -- I found something that at least is called "Moist and Tender Chocolate Cake.”
Her question seemed very innocent, but then I checked the calendar. You see, my wife made this request just a few days before her birthday period (here we celebrate birthdays from the date in the Gregorian calendar until the date in the Hebrew Calendar -- or vice versa).
While a birthday boy or girl conceivably gets presents and cake on either of his or her two birthday dates, it occurred to me that my wife was trying to get two cakes (family tradition says: just one cake for one birthday). So, I did the smart thing: I declared the start of her birthday period two days early! Despite her objections, she's now a year older (even though she's really not).
Dr. Lynn is a lecturer at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Earth Sciences Department. He is also CEO of Weather It Is, LTD, a company that specializes in reducing weather risk.
