weather and character

[franksolich]

I'm reading Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. (Ron Chernow, 1998, Random House), which seems an excellent work, a compelling work, but lacking in something found in most scholarly biographies.

Much is described about Rockefeller's years in Cleveland (Ohio), roughly 1855-1870, but there appears a certain vacancy, something missing.  In all that detail about the budding millionaire, the author says not a word about the weather in Cleveland (which one assumes was the same as the weather in Cleveland these days).

Believe it or not, this is unusual in lengthy biographies, where it is a practice, and a useful guide for the reader, to subtly insert meteorological details; generally, after reading six or half a dozen biographies of Elizabeth I, for example, one has a pretty good idea of climatic conditions as they were in England 1533-1603.

The weather is not a major part of any biography I've ever read, but usually there's some weather in them.

It seems odd in this case, because Cleveland is notorious for its cold winters; in fact, the coldest winters I've ever been in, were when I was in Cleveland, or in New Jersey.  It's true that the mercury in the thermometers dips lower in North Dakota, in South Dakota, in Nebraska, in Minnesota, in Siberia (although admittedly I was only ever in the lower-most regions of Siberia, clear at the bottom), but Cleveland and New Jersey felt immensely colder.

I'm no meteorologist, but I assume it's because Cleveland is right off Lake Erie, and New Jersey right off the Atlantic Ocean, and when wind travels over water, the wind gets colder.  Or so I assume.

There seems a connection between weather and character, although I'm not sure the factors and their influences.  Cold weather does not necessarily make for hostile people, and warm weather does not necessarily make for friendly people.  And as for intelligence, well, cold weather obviously sharpens Carl and muddyemms here, in upstate New York, but dumbs down the Obamaite cali primitive and the Obamaite garybeck primitive in nearby Vermont.

I assume, or rather, hope, the volatile weather of Nebraska makes franksolich a better person, but at the same time I've noticed the same weather weakens other people in this time and place.

There HAS to be some sort of relationship between weather and character, and I'm really disappointed the author of this otherwise wholly excellent, wholly satisfactory, biography of Rockefeller gives not even half a paragraph to the weather in Cleveland at the time.

[Chris_]

I'm no meteorologist, but I assume it's because Cleveland is right off Lake Erie, and New Jersey right off the Atlantic Ocean, and when wind travels over water, the wind gets colder.  Or so I assume.

Yup.

My family's home where I grew up was on a peninsula that stuck out four or five miles into Priest Lake.  We were at the very end of the road, about 200 yards from the lake shore.  There is a noticeable drop in temperature  - about 5 to 10 degres - as you drive down that road, especially during mild times of year where temperature changes are more noticeable.

[megimoo]

I'm no meteorologist, but I assume it's because Cleveland is right off Lake Erie, and New Jersey right off the Atlantic Ocean, and when wind travels over water, the wind gets colder.  Or so I assume.

Yup.

My family's home where I grew up was on a peninsula that stuck out four or five miles into Priest Lake.  We were at the very end of the road, about 200 yards from the lake shore.  There is a noticeable drop in temperature  - about 5 to 10 degres - as you drive down that road, especially during mild times of year where temperature changes are more noticeable.

Water has a thermal time constant that either holds heat longer in summer or absorbes heat from the air if the air is warmer than the water.Heat flows from the warmer to the cooler, second law of thermal dynamics I think !

[franksolich]

Water has a thermal time constant that either holds heat longer in summer or absorbes heat from the air if the air is warmer than the water.Heat flows from the warmer to the cooler, second law of thermal dynamics I think !

Elucidate, please, sir; I'm confused.

Are you saying the wind blowing off the top of Lake Erie in the winter warms Cleveland, rather than making Cleveland colder?

[megimoo]

I'm reading Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. (Ron Chernow, 1998, Random House), which seems an excellent work, a compelling work, but lacking in something found in most scholarly biographies.

Much is described about Rockefeller's years in Cleveland (Ohio), roughly 1855-1870, but there appears a certain vacancy, something missing.  In all that detail about the budding millionaire, the author says not a word about the weather in Cleveland (which one assumes was the same as the weather in Cleveland these days).

Believe it or not, this is unusual in lengthy biographies, where it is a practice, and a useful guide for the reader, to subtly insert meteorological details; generally, after reading six or half a dozen biographies of Elizabeth I, for example, one has a pretty good idea of climatic conditions as they were in England 1533-1603.

The weather is not a major part of any biography I've ever read, but usually there's some weather in them.

It seems odd in this case, because Cleveland is notorious for its cold winters; in fact, the coldest winters I've ever been in, were when I was in Cleveland, or in New Jersey.  It's true that the mercury in the thermometers dips lower in North Dakota, in South Dakota, in Nebraska, in Minnesota, in Siberia (although admittedly I was only ever in the lower-most regions of Siberia, clear at the bottom), but Cleveland and New Jersey felt immensely colder.

I'm no meteorologist, but I assume it's because Cleveland is right off Lake Erie, and New Jersey right off the Atlantic Ocean, and when wind travels over water, the wind gets colder.  Or so I assume.

There seems a connection between weather and character, although I'm not sure the factors and their influences.  Cold weather does not necessarily make for hostile people, and warm weather does not necessarily make for friendly people.  And as for intelligence, well, cold weather obviously sharpens Carl and muddyemms here, in upstate New York, but dumbs down the Obamaite cali primitive and the Obamaite garybeck primitive in nearby Vermont.

I assume, or rather, hope, the volatile weather of Nebraska makes franksolich a better person, but at the same time I've noticed the same weather weakens other people in this time and place.

There HAS to be some sort of relationship between weather and character, and I'm really disappointed the author of this otherwise wholly excellent, wholly satisfactory, biography of Rockefeller gives not even half a paragraph to the weather in Cleveland at the time.

Ronald Chernow is a money man and not much interested in the weather.Rockefeller is an interesting though very frugal type of guy,he learned the value of a dollar from his mother while growing up with out much fatherly influence.

As for his character he wasn't much of a humanitarian but with a uncanny business acumen. Cold weather people are less passionate and more thoughtful than those in warmer climes !