A Conspiracy Theory Says the Gateway Arch in St Louis Controls the Weather
I must admit that I am a fan of conspiracy theories. The bigger the whopper, the more I like them. But, even I had a hard time understanding a theory that the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri somehow controls the weather.
If you're not familiar with the history of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, it's been the symbol of the Midwest since 1965 when it was finally completed as part of a 2 year project.
I came across this theory while trying to get some good out of my Discovery Plus subscription when a show called "The UnxPlained" mentioned the idea that the Gateway Arch prevents St. Louis from having worse thunderstorms.
I also found other articles that mention this somewhat well-traveled theory about the Arch. Gateway Arch brought it up claiming that an engineer who helped build the Arch believed this:
An engineer who had close ties to Gateway Arch architect Eero Saarinen and helped draw plans for the construction of the monument has dropped an explosive bombshell, claiming the famed Finnish designer specifically envisioned the Arch as a means to control Midwestern weather patterns.
My wife is a meteorologist and has no idea what real science could make the Arch affect weather patterns. Someone was kind enough to share a nice 4K stroll around the Arch recently though.
It's worth noting that this video is especially appreciated now as there are still COVID protocols in place that limit the amount of visitors that can go up in the arch at any one time.
Many aren't aware that there are riverboat cruises that are available near the Gateway Arch which give you an even more compelling perspective. Thanks to my fear of heights, it's not likely that I'll sign up for the helicopter tours, but it might be awesome for you if you're game. As for me, gravity will happily keep me grounded.
Does the Gateway Arch really change the weather? I highly doubt it, but it remains one of the must-do activities at some point in your life if you live in the Midwest no matter if it stops thunderstorms in their tracks or not.