FARGO — The early part of the high school football season is played at the end of the summer season. That means there’s a chance that thunderstorms could disrupt Friday night fun. While it may be a nuisance, game stoppages due to lightning strikes in the area are very important to avoid a potentially terrible tragedy.
What fans do during these lightning stoppages is at least as important as stopping the game. People need to stay well away from metal bleachers, light poles, flagpoles, trees and metal fences, as these objects are natural lightning attractors. It’s best to stay inside a building to wait out a thunderstorm, although a car or truck is usually a relatively safe place to hide from lightning. Fall is a short season, and soon snow flurries will be much more likely than thunder.
John Wheeler is chief meteorologist at WDAY, a position he has held since May 1985. Wheeler grew up in the South in Louisiana and Alabama and says his family’s move to the Midwest was important in developing his fascination with weather and climate. Wheeler lived in Wisconsin and Iowa as a teenager. He attended Iowa State University and earned his bachelor’s degree in meteorology in 1984. Wheeler worked at WOI-TV in central Iowa for about a year before moving to Fargo and WDAY.
