Global Warming? Not This Year
Jan 16th, 2007 by Jeremy
It’s cold. And when I say cold, I don’t mean kinda cold. I mean COLD!
Depending on where you live, you might be laughing at the schmucks like me that live in cold weather country. I have a friend that lives in Florida, actually a few friends in Florida, but one in particular that loves to bring up her wonderful weather everything we speak on the phone. It’s fun banter, but of course I never hear from her when hurricanes visit their fine, warm state.
The west is getting hit with a cold patch that is breaking records, and I don’t mean the old vinyl type either. From what I read, the Northeast is feeling it as well. It’s even cold in California, which is where my in-laws are from, and they always consider below 50 to be frigid. Sadly they lost their lemon and orange trees this year. I actually enjoy winter, and love to play in the snow. My kids love it typically too, but when it is this cold, fun outside is all of 20 minutes these days. “Dad, I’m done playing outside now…I can’t feel my hands or ears.”
Driving to work these last couple of days has reminded me of just how bitter cold it is. I get out and dutifully scrape the windows on my truck like the good sharer of the road I am. I travel all of one block and the windshield has completely frozen over again. I hate wasting the gas to idle a vehicle long enough that it can defrost the windows from the inside, but these last couple of days it is either that or join the hunched-over-looking-through-the-bottom-of-the-windshield characters risking their lives for a few minutes delay.
I kid about the global warming thing, so no nasty comments about that, ok? I actually studied biology in college and have pretty good earth-friendly habits and opinions. Though there is plenty of debate on whether global warming is a reality or not, there is no doubt that our throwaway society is wreaking havoc on the planet - but that is another topic for another day.
This cold would be more pleasant to withstand if it came with more snow. More snow? Some think I am crazy, but we could use the snow to store up against droughts, which we have experienced in recent years. I live in Utah, with the greatest snow on earth, so our state slogan claims. Well, I have it on very good authority that the claim is nothing but the truth. I have a friend that owns a ski school in Finland, often skiis with the Olympic team and has hit the slopes in all of Europe and much of the US. On her recent trip to Utah she hit numerous resorts here and told me emphatically that yes, it is the greatest snow on earth. So there.
This too shall pass, and I have gained some patience in my advancing years. But, did I mention, IT’S REALLY COLD!
After having an extremely mild December and start to 2007 here in Minnesota the cold has finally hit here also!! We got our first real (more than an inch or two) of snow here just the other night too.
Not sure what you mean by very cold Jeremy but it’s not too bad here yet - meaning that the wind chills are only in the single below zero digits as opposed to those nasty teens and 20’s below that frequent this area in the winter. Plus, I think we’ve only had 1 or 2 nights in the below zero category if you take away the wind chill, which you can’t do very often here!!
I so agree that if you are going to have the cold you might as well send the snow with it (easy for me to say as my commute is in the same town I live in). Along with the moisture considerations - it can get so drab and gray here in the winter without the snow!! Plus, not much to do outside (which I don’t anyway HA) without the snow.
In the end, we are always going to get our share of cold and snow and I would just as soon get it when it’s supposed to be here. I don’t much appreciate those May snow falls or cold snaps - argh!!!!!!!!
Here in NJ it’s just starting to get cold. This time last week I was out walking in just a sweatshirt! I shouldn’t complain about the cold we are getting now, although I find myself complaining about it anyway.
The only way I like snow is when I am sitting in front of my fireplace with no place to go, and my husband and kids are there too so I’m not worried about them on the roads. I used to love to go out and play in it or take a walk around the block, but as I’m getting older, I find I just can’t take the cold!
Only 64 days until Spring!!
Pam - it has been cold, but barely in the negative degrees. I knew there would be plenty with temps colder than what I am experiencing, but it’s all relative, right? My in-laws think there low 20’s is outrageously cold.
Debbie - my family loves the fireplace. It is what makes a cold day bearable. Nothing soothes the soul like laying in front of the fire with it cold outside and a good book in hand. Already looking forward to Spring though!