Category: Weather

  • Should it rain or should it snow?

    Winter can’t seem to decide if it wants to come or go. This morning we’re in the midst of yet another changeover from rain to sleet to full-blown snow, as seems to be the norm lately. I don’t think we’ve had more than a few consecutive days of the same thing since about November. It’ll be cold and snowy and windy, then three days later, the snow’s gone, it’s 50, and feels like spring is just around the corner. I suppose it’s a step or two up from last year, when we had almost two straight months of below-freezing temps.

    On the one hand, it’s nice not always worrying about frostbite if you’ve been outside for more than five minutes. On the other, my mind needs clear-cut seasonal differences. I need a period of cold and snow (mind you, not too long) to reset for the next season in line. Kind of like a tree that needs x number of hours of chill-time in order to reset and produce buds for the following year. It’s also a lot cleaner if winter is really winter, for us and the dog. I much prefer frozen ground over mud, and so does she if she wants to spend time inside.

    On unrelated notes, I ordered most of my seeds and some more small fruits this week, so I’ll have to get the seed-starting setup put together again. We have a bunch of new stuff on the docket this year, and I’m about doubling my garden space from last year. Seriously, it’s an addiction. I’ve also had a couple very late nights finishing the grout in the shower. It’s good to have the end in sight, but it makes for long days at work… All that’s left now is sealing and getting a door!

    Do you prefer a spring-y winter or a winter-y winter?

  • First snow

    Well, we knew it was going to happen eventually. In spite of all the hoping and praying we do, it always seems to snow here in northeast Ohio. I guess this is probably about average – I remember a year it didn’t snow until the day after Thanksgiving, and a year it snowed on Halloween, but middle of November is about right.

    We had a good inch when I went out this morning, which I’ll take. I like lots of snow to play in, but unfortunately, most of my winter consists of driving to and from work, and not enough playing in the snow, so I suppose less is better. And of course, it’ll take most people about a month to remember how to drive in it. Sure, you’ve lived here for 30 years, but… “what is this white stuff falling from the sky? I’m scared. Must. Drive. 20 mph.” Or the alternative, “I have an SUV. Snow? What snow? I have 4-wheel drive. I will continue to bob and weave through traffic at a high rate of speed.” And end up in the guard rail a mile down the road, backing things up for the rest of us. Clearly, I don’t harbor any bad feelings toward other drivers. Really.

    There’s always something kind of magical about the first snow. Everything looks so pure and untainted, and the world gets very quiet. Come January, it starts to lose its luster a bit. February, and that magical feeling changes to disgust. By the time we’re in March and April (and if we’re really lucky, May!), it’s usually outright hatred, and we’re looking for some sign, anything, of the spring to come.

    Winter gets kind of a bad rap, but I wouldn’t trade it. Shorten by a month or two? Absolutely. But I like having distinct seasons (not that I’d turn down living year-round on Kauai). It just… fits. Winter is a time for rest and rejuvenation in preparation for the hard work that will come with the next spring and summer. The smell of wood smoke, blankets, warm soups and hot bread, and the sharp, crisp air that you can only experience on a December morning.

    Hunker down and enjoy it. At least until February.

  • And so it ends

    Growing season, that is. We had our first frost last night, and it was an all-out heavy frost. No patchy stuff – this covered everything. Fortunately, I picked the rest of what needed to be picked the other day, but this closes the book on 2011. I do have to say though, it looked pretty with the pink and orange of the sunrise on the horizon behind. Forecast looks halfway decent for the next few days, so it looks like we’ll still squeeze some decent fall weather out of November; at least dry enough to finish raking the leaves, I hope.

    Always needs to see what's going on.

  • More storms

    For the third time in the last four nights, we were awakened by thunder. The only reason we weren’t on that fourth night is because it stormed before bed. On the one hand, it’s great that we’re getting rain and I don’t have to water (though some places are getting too much and flooding). On the other hand, I sleep lousily to begin with and have a kid that already wakes me up in the middle of the night, so adding a thunderstorm to that mix makes for a very tired me.

    Looks like we’ll get a respite for a couple days mid-week (60s at night! mid-80s during the day!) before we’re back up to the 90s by the end of the week again.

    Darn. I had several other thoughts this morning when the thunder woke me up, but as is usually the case with mid-night wakings, I can’t remember anything. Maybe it’ll come back to me later.

    Anyone else thunderstorm-weary? Usually I enjoy a good storm, but I feel like they’ve burned me out this year, we’ve had so many.