The Curious Case of the Vanishing Winter

A beautiful day today. I was outside again without a coat (wearing a sweater). The sun was bright, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the temperature was well above freezing. Sure, there was a nip in the air, and a chill when the wind picked up, but that’s only to be expected. Given that it’s February.

Where did winter go? A lot of people have noted that this one has been odder than most. Dave Phillips of Environment Canada has noted that we’ve had milder winters, but they’ve all dumped us with a lot more snow. We’ve had less snowy winters, but they’ve all been substantially colder. It’s as if November shouldered aside December and January and wore out its welcome for the past ninety days.

Snow is in the forecast for tomorrow, and a dip in temperatures to -7’C or thereabouts. And I have to tell you, I feel conflicted.

Typically at this time of year, after the groundhog has seen his shadow (or not), I start calling these days “late winter”. The later in February we go and on into March, each major snowfall is another example (to me) of winter wearing out its welcome. “When will spring come!” I cry. I know from experience that the weather will get cold between now and the vernal equinox. It will snow and I will hate it. But that reaction seems less rational than ever given that winter basically hasn’t arrived to begin with, much less worn out its welcome.

Guys? Today was a beautiful day. I really enjoyed it. But I kind of think that we’ve sort have broken this planet…

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