It's not particularly unusual, but still disappointing to me that our winter was pretty much over before the end of January. It was rainy or windy (or both) for the entire month. Not one day with frost or freeze, and not one day with a record high or low. "Not even the much talked about Winter Storm that set Florida snow records in January?" Nope - those cities are 500 miles from me. Our lowest temp was 38.
While that last sentence implies it was all fairly close to average, the weather had me do something I've never done since we put in our current central air conditioning system in March of 2020: I turned on the central heater overnight in parts of the last weeks of January. Not to heat the majority of the house, but to keep our bedroom temperature from going under 60 degrees. Our bedroom is hardly ever the temperature the system thermostat is set to. In the summer it stays hotter than the thermostat setpoint and in the winter it's cooler than the setpoint.
I've posted about seasonal affective disorder (SAD) before, with the observation while I know that SAD is real and I sympathize with those who have it, I've noticed that, if anything, I have the opposite reaction. When I realize the days are getting longer and there's no going back to shorter and cooler days, I get saddened while people with SAD feel better. It's like how I have the opposite of Attention Deficit Disorder: Attention Surplus Syndrome or ASS.
I especially get that "downer" reaction when I realize there are no cold temperatures in the forecast and we're running out of chances for cold weather. Like this 10-day forecast just taken from Weather Underground.
This 10-day forecast ends four days before the end of the month, and the lowest temperature is 54F five days from as I'm typing - Friday morning the 21st. That's not even cold for here. That's just barely below the "normal" low of 56. That means it's practically time to start spring planting, weeding and all that stuff. I really want to rip out the flower bed areas in front of the house and encourage the grass to grow in there. Or pour concrete. Lots of stuff is triggering my reaction of too much PITA (Pain In The Ass) for the feel-good you get from doing it.
Go with more grass instead of concrete in the ex-flower beds. It will reduce the amount of not-winter heat being reflected into your house.
ReplyDeleteAs to non-freezing winters, wow, you should have been around in the mid 70's. It routinely froze lawns even in Satellite Beach or Indian Harbor Beach (for those not knowledgeable about Florida, those are two small towns south of Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach (where Major Nelson lived, right...) on the outer barrier 'island.')
From the early '40s to the mid '90s I used to swelter during the summer in and around the environs of NYC; I could never understand how the Floridians could live down there: 'gators, skeeters, humidity, n' all
ReplyDeleteNow I live year 'round on a barrier island off the west coast of Florida; ever so much more pleasant in the summer than NYC.
They called him Major Nelson, but his oak leaf was silver. Explain that Hollywood!
DeleteAnd it's snowing here, with highs in the 20~30* range, and lows around freezing.
ReplyDeleteYeah, but... you're in Colorado!
DeleteI choose to laugh friend. It's 20 degrees before windchill (about -2) snow and mixed is expected until 1PM today as it started showing 6PM last evening.
ReplyDeleteIf your missing winter, come on up to New England. We'll keep a snow shovel out for you.
Almost time to plant the garden? Heck, I did that back in Dec/Jan. Already harvesting celery, tomatoes, and cabbage. My datil peppers are starting their third year. No freeze equals perennial peppers.
ReplyDeleteCold weather you say? It's two above right now, mornings will hit below zero for the next five days with minus thirteen tomorrow. The Twin Cities awaits you sir.
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ReplyDeleteIt is 39 F right now on South Texas and we are forecast for a hard freeze on Wednesday.
I am in SE Georgia. According to the extended forecast we have another week of winter.
ReplyDeleteWe're supposed to come down off the "near record highs" starting tonight, but still nothing in the forecast lower than 50. It's still possible, just less likely every day. I remember winters in the '80s with frost on a car as late as the end of March/early April (once!) "It's weather."
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