I recently moved from CT to NC and have noticed one of the differences between the two areas is the amount of thunderstorms. Typically they're in the afternoon so if you tend to swim during that time your workouts are either cancelled or cut short. The safety rules which require you to get out of the pool are true for both indoor and outdoor pools (I've overheard people question the guards why it applies to indoor pools and it got me to thinking). I'm assuming the electricity would conducted through pipes or metal in the building. Does the presence of windows make a difference? Also, the frequency of storms is such that I would think it would have a fairly big impact on the ability of teams to have consistent workouts. I remember coaches who would give people a hard time about getting out for 2 minutes to use the restroom, that seems to pale in comparison to missing huge sections of workouts several days a week due to thunderstorms. The rule seems to be that if there's a lightning strike you must leave the pool and wait 20-30 minutes before re-entering the pool. Where did the 20-30 minute time frame come from? One last hypothetical question, what if during the Olympic 1500m race there's a lightning strike? Do they tell the swimmers to stop and get out?
Originally posted by knelson
We get very little rain (much less than anywhere east of the Misssissippi) in the summer and the average temp is typically in the mid 70s. So how does that compare to North Carolina or Tennessee?
Compares very poorly. Summer is for sweatin'. It's in the 70s there because the sun can't break through the constant dreary overcast layer. Didn't you guys set some record this past year for some crazy # of days with no sun or rain or something?
I think that was the record for most consecutive days with measurable rain. We didn't quite make it. I believe the record was 33 days and we fell short by a day or two.
We expect it to rain here in the winter. If you can't deal with that, yeah, you should move somewhere else. As a skier I'm happy because all that rain at sea level translates to copious amounts of snow in the mountains.
Former Member
We are really lucky in the Vancouver Area we never get rain or thunder storms, we only have Scotch Mist.
Former Member
I actually enjoy the summer thunderstorms, as long as a) they're in the evening, not the middle of the afternoon, and b) they don't disrupt my plans for the day. Back when I swam summer league, it would thunder during at least half our meets, and we would have to sit there for an hour or so until it cleared up again. Or we would come back the next day and try again. A few times, a meet that was supposed to take four hours at most took three full evenings.
...I hope this didn't come across as me complaining about the rule which requires you to get out of the pool. I like swimming but not enough to risk my life.
This topic has come up a number of times on this forum and the discussion is always good.
There is a hypersensitivity to lightning. Being in the middle of summer league, I can attest to endless delays for thunder where you have a clear sky overhead and some storm many many miles away that never comes close. Most summer league teams will practice in the morning to avoid the weather.
Unless a pool building is grounded, they clear you out. Some indoor pools are grounded or have invested in lightning detection devices that only alert if a storm is truly near.
And, yes, they will clear the pool in the event of thunder/lightning, regardless of what is going on.
Originally posted by knelson
Just another example proving the west coast is the best place to live and to swim :)
I'll take a few disruptions to swimming due to lightning and you can keep your 226 average CLOUDY days a year versus our 214 average SUNNY days a year.
Former Member
Originally posted by aquageek
Compares very poorly. Summer is for sweatin'. It's in the 70s there because the sun can't break through the constant dreary overcast layer. Didn't you guys set some record this past year for some crazy # of days with no sun or rain or something?
Strangely, I don't mind having an electricity bill that averages less than $30 a month, year round, because I'm paying for neither cooling nor heat. I'll take a bit of summer cloud n' drizzle for that.
Of course, the fact that it is possible to exert oneself outdoors in our summers without suffering from hyperthermia probably has a lot to do with our pleasingly low obesity rate.
I heard some complaints because it reached 31 (88F) over the weekend. But it's 20 this afternoon and cloudlessly perfect. I don't remember having seen any rain for more than a month now. To me this is paradise. :)
We get very little rain (much less than anywhere east of the Misssissippi) in the summer and the average temp is typically in the mid 70s. So how does that compare to North Carolina or Tennessee?
Actually I do miss thunderstorms, though.
