The Final Snows of Winter
Posted on March 19, 2016 Posted by John Scalzi 25 Comments
It’s not much and it won’t stay very long (the temperatures will be in the 40s today), but here they are. I can say with confidence that these are the final snows of winter because the Vernal equinox here in the northern hemisphere arrives tomorrow at about 4:30am UTC, or actually 11:30pm tonight where I live. So, yeah, this is pretty much it. Winter is leaving.
Not that it was much of a winter in general; I can say with some confidence that in fifteen years of living in Ohio, this is one that racked up the least amount of snow and cold. We had only a couple of days genuinely frigid weather, as opposed to the couple of years before this when we had the polar vortex squatting over us. Once again, as a native southern Californian, I’m all for this. More mild winters for Ohio, please. Given that overall warming of the planet anecdotally seems to mean either very mild or deeply frigid winters for us, if I have a choice, I’ll pick the former, thanks.
Anyway: So long, winter — and given the 10 day forecast for the area, so long to snow. Now we get a month of clouds and drizzle. I can live with that.
I think you meant you’d pick the former (mild winters).
I know I would.
Yup, fixed!
Interestingly, last month was the hottest February on record. And January 2016 was also the hottest January on record. It will be interesting to see if this March keeps up the trend.
Fun times ahead.
It took me a minute to work out that the ‘snow’ was the specks on the picture, because there’s certainly none on the ground! And similar in the UK – I live in the North of England and we have had only three days of snow. It has been quite cold, but not below zero. Weird times …
If I recall a’right, Athena had over a dozen school closure days last year. This year … maybe one? Maybe?
Definitely a remarkable swing on the year-to-year thing.
Wow, you’ve been in Ohio for fifteen years now? No wonder the Ohio Senate is recognizing you as one of its own.
Well, as a fellow Southern Californian, I’ve been enjoying all the sunshine I can get! Actually, we’ve had some drizzle here and there (one early morning we had a storm and high winds for about five minutes). This winter here in SoCal has been pretty much summer. I think Mother Nature has forgotten to give us winter. Oh well.
*enjoys sun
You’ve jinxed it! Now will come the April Blizzard, after which you may be removed from the freezer. Srsly, Ohio usually gets one last hurrah from winter in the form of a traditional heavy snow sometime in the early part of April.
As someone who spent fifty years living in Orange County, California, where for the last ten years, summer was in February, June, July and November, I am enjoying the move to Oregon seven years ago. I was disappointed the years we’ve had little or no snow, but I also don’t like driving in it. I’ve always hated the summer heat, so cold and rainy suits me fine. No flying insects then either.
Yeah, last winter we ran the pellet stove almost constantly. This year we didn’t bother with it at all. Too warm outside, and it would’ve just cooked us out. That said, I am so ready for warmer weather (though I know I’ll regret saying that come August when it’s 90F and humid). I hope this last freeze will eliminate some of the insects that are already emerging so we’re not overrun this summer.
I must be petty. Because my first thought was that with that much yard you need a larger grill.
Here in the land of Down Under we’ve are having the opposite; – a mid-summers day in autumn with the temperature in the mid 20’s (or whatever that is in your British Imperial measurement system – 80F I’m told).
Wayne Rohret – no, I don’t think you’re petty but John’s opinion counts for far more than mine does. Although I do think your comparison of yard and grill isn’t quite right. That’s a bit like comparing fingers and well, you know …
Perhaps a more appropriate comparison might be size of grill and the number of friends and family who appreciate a certain persons cooking. But I have been wrong in the past so this could be another one (or not).
It’s been an interesting March here in Perth, too. We had a 40 degree day earlier this week (Monday) and the forecast is sort of hinting at this point that Easter is going to be high twenties C with possible rain. I’ll probably be wearing short sleeves on my birthday (first week of April), which is a big change from how it was when I was a kid, where I’d usually be in the winter gear by then.
What are the buildings in the background? Neighbor? Outbuildings of Chez Scalzi? Barracks of anti-Trumpista forces?
Tell GRRM that winter isn’t coming, it’s leaving.
And I better not hear any Sanders supporters calling today the “Bernal Equinox…”
Have no idea of there is science to support my thought that climate change is more noticeable in extreme climates but….
I’ve noticed that our winters/springs in the desert seem to be getting shorter and shorter. Normally in El Nino years there are mild winters in the Midwest and we have an abnormally wet/cool one here. This year we had maybe a week of cool/rainy weather but it’s been in the 80s now for some time. Yesterday 90s and forecast to continue.
I hate cold weather after spending my youth all over the snow belt but, seriously, 8 months of summer is too much. Especially when there are many, many days over 110 degrees during the ACTUAL summer.
We got snow here in ct last night, although it will all be gone by noon. And we too had a remarkably warm winter, for the most part. However, it is kind of scary reading about some of the changes in other parts of the world, like Egypt, for one. Massive rains.
Your neighbor to the north here has a witner (LOL- I did a Freudian slip and typed that as “winer”) storm watch for Wed/Thurs with possibly 8″ of wet, heavy snow. :sigh:
It missed us. On Friday, snow was in the offing for Saturday night through Sunday afternoon, according to all the forecasts, but we saw only about six flakes as we drove home from NY to DC on Sunday. Yay Spring.
Chaon: You got sonething against JD Bernal?
Winter is leaving?
Missed Greg above, sorry…
Nice view of your deck and yard. Less is more. Snowed right before we headed out to watch JGHS Muskies Basketball Team win State at the Schottenstein Center. Hope that little shout out was okay. Again, less is more.
We had a few inches come down over the course of the day. Surprisingly, it’s almost completely melted.