Given all the avid, passionate and knowledgeable meteorology friends we have at UAlbany, can’t help but hear a lot of buzz in this week leading up to Rosh Hashanah 5784/2023 about forecasting the path Hurricane Lee will take. And it makes a big difference. This huge storm can just blow out to sea or it can hit populated places along the east coast. And it all depends on the timing and angle of the turn.
There are lots of weather variables – things like trough and shear – that tell meteorologists that this storm will soon push northward. The only question is – and there are many models out there, and they keep changing! – as to when and to what degree that turn will be. The angle of that turn will make the whole difference of whether or not this storm hits land and where it might hit.
Can’t help but think that Rosh Hashanah and the High Holidays is the season for change in direction. Indeed, Teshuva (usually translated as repentance) means to re-turn. Sometimes it’s a 180 degree turn, but the turn can also be subtler than that and still make a huge difference in our lives. Even the slightest shift can change our life trajectory. Like Lee.
The slightest shift in the angle of our personal turns are very significant – and have a far-reaching, long-term impact.