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Show TIMES, March 16, 2006 Snow or not Spring is near BY BETH YOUNG Hilltop Times stalf Winter doesn't seem to want to loosen its grip on Utah and as the snow continues to accumulate and the sound of snow blowers are a familiar morning sound, most are eager for any sign of warmer weather. The good news is that whether it feels like it or not, the calendar says that Monday is the first official day of spring. Since the first caveman grunted that he was sick of pushing snow • away from the cave, people have looked to nature in hopes of predicting the weather. This year, the most famous furry forecaster, Punxsutawney Phil, saw his shadow, condemning the more superstitions among us to Photo by Beth Young The recent snow fall on the Wasatch Front has not scared away some the first signs of spring - tulips peeking out of their winter slumber. believe there would be six more weeks of bad weather. Groundhog Day has been celebrated on Feb. 2 for more than 120 years and is just one of many ways that people attempted to predict weather, before science gave us satellites and Doppler radar. The woolly bear caterpillar is supposed to forecast a mild winter if its middle band of reddish brown is wider than the two end bands of black, and a hard winter if it is narrower. There are similar superstitions that a frost will occur six weeks after the first katydid is heard and that tree frogs' trilling predicts rain. "I am not one for superstitions - either you know your weather or it's going to kick you in the butt," said Tech. Sgt. Ninfa Ramirez-Conroy, a forecaster with the 75th Operations Support Squadron Weather Flight. "We do what we can with meteorological reasoning and all the resources we have. People call us wea'.her guessers, but if I could give them 100 percent guarantee they would call me Mother Nature." Some weather myths may have some basis in science, such as the rhyme "Ring around the moon, rain by noon. Ring around the sun, rain before night is done." A halo around the sun or moon is caused by ice crystals in cirrus clouds. That usually means wet weather is 12 to 18 hours away. "I do pay attention (to weather superstitions) a little bit," said Staff Sgt. Israel Velez, 75th Operations Support Squadron Weather Photo by Airman 1st Class Clayton Murray Airmen all over base helped clear sidewalks after a brief snowstorm last week left several Inches of snow on Hill. Flight forecaster. "I wasn't always a weather guy." Often without their high-tech equipment when deployed, Sergeant Velez said that weather flight members are not above using superstitions of their own. "We used Magic 8-BalIs in the desert a little bit," he said. "We kept count on how good it was, Annual fund raiser kicks off Force people, surviving spouses and families. Last year, Airmen exceeded the camHill's annual Air Force Assistance Fund paign goal as they contributed more than campaign begins Monday with a kickoff $7.3 million Air Force wide. luncheon at Club Hill. Col. Kenneth MerThe Air Force Aid Society assisted Senior chant, Ogden Air Logistics Center vice Airman Daniel Acosta, a former Hill excommander, will give the keynote address plosive ordnance disposal technician who at the luncheon. was injured in Iraq, and his family with two The AFAF campaign, one of the two ofgrants for numerous expenses related to ficially sanctioned fundraisers held at the his spouse being able to remain with him base each year, will run March 20 to April upon his return from deployment. 28. The other fundraiser The Air Force Aid Society is the Combined Fedalso provided an active eral Campaign held in duty family, whose two the fall. children were seriously "The kick-off luninjured in a car accicheon serves to dent, with over a year educate the base of temporary care, populous on the imloans and grants for portance of taking special rehabilitation care of our own Air equipment. Force family,"- said Other, more routine, Capt. Letitia Marsh, types of assistance this- year's AFAF range from providing project officer. funds for Hill's "GivThe theme for the ing Parents a Break" AFAF fundraiser is program (which pays "Commitment to Carfor free child care for ing." The fundraising children of deployed goal Air Force wide is service members), pro$5.4 million, of which viding safety checks Hill hopes to raise /. and oil changes for $75,086, Captain the cars of deployed Marsh said. members, and "Of each dollar awarding 33 $2,000 raised, 98 cents college scholarGraphic by goes back to Air ships to Hill famKent Bingham Force families," ily members. said Linda Nicson, "The loans (from Hill's Air Force Aid Society offithe Air Force Aid Society) are cer. "The money goes directly to interest free," Ms. Nicoson said. Air Force families. It's Air Force helping "Any military family who has had an Air Force and Airmen helping Airmen." ' emergency is helped. It's a wonderful orgaLast year, jriill members contributed nization and I can't stress that enough. $71,837 to the. AFAF and in return received "Anyone can donate and there's no mini$355,952 in Air Force Aid assistance - five mum amount. We will take anything," Ms. times the amount contributed. Nicoson said. Now in its 33rd year, 100-percent of desFor more information, contact your Air ignated AFAF contributions will benefit Force Aid representative or Captain Marsh active-duty, Reserve, Guard, retired Air at 777-3680. BY AIRMAN 1ST CLASS JENNY CHQN6 Hilltop Times staff day forecast - that is where it gets tricky," he said. For now, future weather will continue to be a surprise. There is still no way to accurately forecast weather a month away, let alone if there will be six more weeks of winter or an early spring. But using the calendar, Spring begins Monday. and it was pretty accurate." Most superstitions are just that and even with all of today's technology, the further out the less accurate the forecast, said Tech. Sgt. Michael Dannelly, Weather Flight acting noncommissioned officer in charge. "We can do a really good job two to three days out. The five Crossword Fun Base Locator BY CAPT. TONY WICKMAN 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs ACROSS I. Congeal 4. Sore 8. USAF inspection II. Plentiful 13.ACCbase 14. jump 16. ACCbase 17. Auction 18. Sea bird 19. PACAFbase 21. Backgammon need 22. Taxing org. 23. Hidden 25. Swimming in water 29. Gun lobby 30. Nuts 31. AETCbase 36. Trade union 37. Score for 30 DOWN 38. Chairs 39. PACAF base 41. More flimsy 42. Hearing tool 43. Humpbacks 44. CENTCOM base 48. Greek letter 49. Cosmetic ingredient 50. AMC base 56. Celebrity 57. AFMC base 58. Ages 59. Hoop type 60. Weaponry 61. Poison 62. Mil. ID 63. Bother 64. Actors Harris and O'Neal DOWN 1. Useless e-mail 2. Fashion magazine 3. Young kid 4. Agree in kind 5. Burns 6. 50 percent 7. Ram's mate 8.Toboggans 9. Eagle's nest 10. AETCbase 11. "Honest" president 12. Singer Torme 15. Hammer part 20. Hubbubs 23. Web address 24. Upset stomach •• 11 12 11 ft 10 i 113 I 15 114 10 19 • 24 125 26 27 28 32 G3 34 35 30 36 i— H 39 44 45 48 (47 150 52 53 54 55 58 56 59 51 —L— 81 ------ •• 25. ... acht, , zehn ... 26. Caustic material 27. Story 28. Singer Bocelll 29. Neither's partner 30. Tiger's org. 31. Discard 32. Dinner 33. Cook 34. SW Indians 35. Former Soviet country ID 37. Each 40. The Right Stuff actor Shepard 41. Buzzing sound 43. Albeit 44. Gala 45. AETC base 46. Scores 47. Aired again 48. Soothes 50. Terminate 51. Abyss 52. Pay attention 53. Charged particles 54. Mil. officer assigned, to another staff 55. USAF medal 57. Nickname of only General of the Air Force Answers to this week's puzzle can be found on page 12. „ |