Jeff Wysaski
What began as a typical ho-hum month of June for the city of Dallas has quickly turned into a spectacle that has captured the hearts of citizens and united the entire metroplex. The cause for the celebration? With just 4 days left, June 2008 is mere inches away from breaking the all-time record for June rainfall in the Dallas region.
“It’s truly an exciting time to be alive,” said David Finfrock, local meteorologist. And for once, it’s not just the experts that are excited. Clark Webster, college student, put it best when he stated, “at first I was bummed with all the rain; June’s usually prime Frisbee golf season – but then I heard we were nearing the record and that changed everything.” When asked to elaborate, he continued, “We just all really want to see June break, no shatter, that record. It’s a great underdog story, and who doesn’t love rooting for the underdog?”
The impressive performance of June is even more surprising given its slow start. During the first week in the month, a paltry one-tenth of an inch of rain was in the record books. But history was in the making as June quickly shot into high gear at the beginning of week two. Citizens woke up to a blanket of showers for their Monday morning commute, and June has shown few signs of slowing down since. “Sure traffic has been a nightmare, and the kids cooped up inside are driving me crazy, but I’m willing to suffer through it if it means a victory for June,” remarked Dan Tremble as he sat through his third red light cycle at the same intersection.
Whether June can maintain its storybook performance remains to be seen. As the month nears the finish line, another 2 inches of rainfall are required to top June 1928’s long-standing record of 11.58 inches. Prospects are looking good, however, as analysts are forecasting an 80% chance of rain for two out of the four remaining days. “We all know this isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. June needs a strong finish if it wants a chance at the record,” said weather enthusiast Bill Lumley.
For now, June is the topic du jour in coffee shops and bars across the city. Pete Wilstaff, bar patron, stated that “before now, I’d never really thought of June as a month worth discussing, but now me and my bros can’t stop talking about it.” He added, “Whoo June!”
City officials are already discussing celebration proceedings if, indeed, the landmark event is achieved. Talks of a downtown parade with special guest Rainn Wilson, popular actor from The Office television program, as Parade Master have so far met the most favorable response. If such a parade does take place, there’s no doubt the entire city of Dallas will come out to celebrate June’s triumph.
Officials are split on whether to invite June to witness the parade firsthand. They would, of course, love to have the star performer make an encore appearance to cap the festivities, but are reluctant due to the possibility that June may rain on their parade.