December 29, 1998 transcript # 266-2
Subject(s): low pressure, blood pressure
Title: Cranky Weather

Ever wonder why you get cranky when bad weather hits? Sure, it means your bike ride is out or your picnic is cancelled. But something else is happening, too. Your mood is being affected by atmospheric pressure changes. Hi, this is Dave Thurlow from the Mount Washington Observatory and you're listening to The Weather Notebook.

Bad weather, we know, is associated with a decrease in air pressure. And the less pressure there is in the air, the less pressure or force, is being exerted on - us. That change in pressure can actually affect our blood chemistry. Why? Because it is pressure that forces oxygen into our systems. And the more oxygen we get, the more alert we are; less oxygen tends to make us feel sluggish and listless. I guess you could say that human beings, then, function best under pressure. (Just don't let your boss know that.)

It seems, too, that blood-sugar levels may be affected by atmospheric pressure. A recent study in which he determined that blood-sugar levels are higher during hi-pressure periods and lower during low-pressure periods. Blood-sugar levels are associated with energy so that could be another reason why we seem to have more energy in good weather.

And finally, did you know that pressure can affect our appetites? There's a bit of weather folklore that says when you clear your plate fair weather won't wait.

Thanks today to contributing writer extrodinaire Jeanne Twehous. Our series senior producer is Jay Allison. The Weather Notebook is underwritten by Subaru, the beauty of all wheel drive, with major support provided by the National Science Foundation.