Is This Really A Heatwave and Do We Really Need Relief From It?

Whoever is running the Fox4 News Kansas City Facebook page needs to dial back the exaggeration. "Relief from this heat wave is on the way," says their Facebook blurb linking to a story on precipitation chances for the weekend. And that sentence comes complete with an exclamation point. The weather only got decent a week ago, and we're already whining about how hot it is? What we're experiencing is a heatwave?

I don't think so. Look, I get it. Our high temperatures are setting records, or are close to record-setting. And if you're working a gig like construction or landscaping I can understand why this weather is hot and making you miserable.

But does every weather story need to ginned up to be a major weather story? It was like the snowstorms over the winter.  Every event was potentially snowmageddon. No, it wasn't snowmageddon, it was just snow and it was a pain in the ass. It melted rather quickly too if I remember.

We live in the Midwest, in Missouri. And it's May. Yes, it's hot. But about a week ago we were all dealing with chilly temperatures, showers, thunderstorms, and gray skies. Now, three days of shorts weather and needing the car's air conditioning and we're in a heatwave?

This isn't anything. This is nothing more than some hot weather in May, and I suspect many of us are glad to experience it. Come back and talk to me about a heatwave in late July and August when we haven't had any measurable rain in a month and you can see the heat rising from the asphalt. I might consider that a heatwave, although that just sounds like a Missouri summer to me.