Page 5 - DEC2023

December 2023
NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM
Page 5
Community
Gene’s reputation as our local weather “expert” has grown, and consequently, so has his legion of followers.
Those who checked Gene Bank’s forecast on Tuesday, No- vember 7th, as I did, were treated to three days of accurate prog- nostication, which included ad- vance notice of this Fall’s first “snowstorm,” which visited the Newfound Region in the early morning, Thursday, November 9th. Gene’s three-day synopsis gave accurate information about the ongoing changes in tempera- ture, the winds, and the snow ac- cumulation. As he prepared his forecast, he consulted his own station’s readings, which take into account the Newfound Area’s unique “downsloping” weather phenomena. Also, he checks the sophisticated weather models provided by GFS, ECMWF, and HRRR.
Gene does not post a forecast on the Newfound Community Group Facebook page on a regu- lar schedule. Most often, he con- veys his insights when a change is likely. So, if an impending “active weather day” is rumored, it might be wise to see if he has made any posts. For current weather con- ditions as well as a webcam view of Newfound Lake and the area, check out his webpage at www. bridgewaternhweather.com.
WEATHER
continued from page 1
People have tried to influence it as well. Initially, having recourse only to the gods who controlled the behavior of the elements, human sacrifice was practiced to bring needed rain or calm the winds of an unruly tempest.
As the ages passed, reason began to supplement pagan re- ligions. Great thinkers tried to categorize trends in the weather and thereby took the first steps in making them predictable. Ar- istotle wrote copiously about the weather in his tome, Meteoro- logica. Theophrastus noted the nuances of predictability in his Book of Signs. Nonetheless, the prayers of the faithful remained (and perhaps remain) humanity’s most widely shared recourse to ensure beneficial weather.
The human desire to predict and control the weather contin- ues unabated. Inventions in the 15th and 16th centuries, such as the hygrometer, thermometer, and barometer, encouraged the growth of weather forecasting. Later, the use of manned balloons and the telegraph gave would-be forecasters greater perspectives. Today, satellites and computers provide forecasting confidence but not certainty.
Predicting the weather is one thing. Controlling or influencing it is something else, and humans have yet to experience much suc- cess in this regard. The attempts at weather modification, from shooting cannons at the clouds, praying to the heavens, or seeding with silver iodide, have yielded mixed results. Ironically, it has been argued that while careful planning has not produced signifi- cant results, careless use of the en- vironment has reaped a whirlwind of climatic change, prompting de- structive weather. Note: A recent banner headline in the Laconia Daily Sun explained, “Changing
603-217-7921 Ralph196162@icloud.com
Rain Patterns Could Create Pe- rennial Headaches in Managing Lake.”
Although folks in the New- found Region will face the same evolving changes as those who depend on Winnipesaukee re- sources, we have the assurance that the towns surrounding Newfound Lake have a reliable, well-regarded weather forecaster. He is Gene Bank. His carefully re- searched forecasts can be accessed on the Newfound Lake Commu- nity page on Facebook.
Gene, born in Baltimore in 1956, loved playing with wind- shield wipers as a very young child. This was a sure sign of a developing interest in the weather and a desire to see the omens with clarity. This interest would carry throughout Gene’s life.
His pursuits took him from Baltimore to Boston and then back to Baltimore for high school, spending periods of time with both parents, who had divorced. During his teens, he meticulously recorded the nuances of day-to- day weather in his diary.
Gene attended the Univer- sity of Maryland and graduated with a degree in physical geog- raphy. To deepen his under- standing of weather and climate, he took courses in Meteorology and worked as an intern with the National Weather Service at their headquarters in Baltimore, located at Baltimore Washing- ton International (BWI) Airport. In his spare time, Gene delved into Astronomy and forecasting weather on a local radio station.
After college, Gene returned to the Boston area to work with his stepfather in the family business. He discovered New Hampshire on ski trips and grew to love the varied topography and weather of the Granite State. By 1989, he had purchased a “fixer-upper” on a high hill in Bridgewater, close enough to 93 that he could travel back to Boston for business and
428 Coolidge Woods Road New Hampton, NH
because he was involved in the Big Brother Program. His “Little Brother Nick” lived there.
In 2001, the family business was sold, allowing Gene to move full-time to New Hampshire and spend time renovating and restor- ing the 235-year-old Cape he had purchased. Moving the structure to a new foundation was a part of
Gene Bank
the renovation.
Today, the historic house serves
as home to a family, which in- cludes an assortment of cats and a golden retriever. It is also the headquarters of Gene’s weather forecasting operation, equipped with a Davis Advantage Pro 2 weather station. The station pro-
vides continuous readings every fifteen minutes of air pressure, temperature, humidity, wind speed, and directions, as well as several other relevant measure- ments. Gene keeps a close eye on the changing conditions, as he likes to say, “In weather fore- casting, the trend is your friend.” Gene regularly studies other me- teorological data available from the National Weather Service and a national organization of amateur weather forecasters. He scrupulously avoids the Farmer’s Almanac and televised forecasts. However, he is quick to mention, with humor, “I refer to my Crystal Ball from time to time in my posts, which, sometimes, is the most ac- curate of all!”
For several years, Gene split his time between a successful pho- tography sideline and occasional forays into the realm of weather forecasting. He also enjoyed skiing, hiking, snowmobiling, Astronomy, and anything to do with natural phenomena. A shift in these commitments occurred gradually, with more time being allocated to the study and analysis of weather. During this transition, Gene enriched his knowledge of climate and weather under the tutelage of a Plymouth State pro- fessor, who let Gene audit relevant classes. In the past few years, with the growing use of social media,
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