This was the scene on Lake Drive in Illinois on February 2nd. My department at work has a sister region in Illinois and we had to cover their functions while they dealt with this.
My sister's co-worker sent her this pic.
I'm happy to say that right now, it's shorts weather in Minnesota.
I'm joking, of course. Maybe. It's above 40°F right now, which is a heat wave for February. A temperature of 40°F in March/April allows Minnesotans to feel that it's socially acceptable to wear shorts and t-shirts again. The same temperature in October makes us reach for our bulky down jackets. It's all a matter of tolerance.
It's enough to make me feel like spring is just out of sight around the month's turn. Unfortunately this is not true--we're most likely in for a cold, snowy and mushy March, followed by a cold, rainy and mucky April. Still, it's hard to resist the temptation to think Spring really is here. It's made me brave enough to wear a few skirts to work this week (well, that and the fact that I need to do laundry badly). The yard is looking shrunken somehow. I never knew that height could make a yard look bigger, but the couple feet of snow layered on the front and back yards has been steadily declining and somehow the backyard looks smaller.
Of course all this wonderful melting has it's downside. The ugly part of winter is arriving--the part where all the snow is black from pollution and dirt (although it was sorta fun "finding" all the pine needles from our Christmas tree where we put it out for the garbage man). The part where your shoes are constantly wet and muddy and you have to do the skitter-walk to maintain your balance on wet melting ice patches.
I won't bitch too much however, because this thaw is short lived and we won't see this type of weather for a few more weeks most likely. It's especially nice coming off of the deep freeze of last week, where I "Princess Parked" downtown several times (phrase stolen unapologetically from my mother) in order to avoid losing my legs or other limbs waiting for a bus that is often late.
And either way, I can be happy that the snowstorm above didn't hit us (For Once!) and we didn't have to shovel more mountains of snow onto already huge piles. At least now driving in my neighborhood will be a tiny bit safer, now that some of the end-of-driveway mounds have melted down enough for you to see the car coming through the uncontrolled intersection.
4 comments:
I remember winter. I didn't care for it. 40's? Too cold, I'm good with the warm up we're having down south.
It's definitely not my favorite season, but I think it makes me appreciate spring, summer & fall all the more.
After all these years I have mentally conditioned myself to know that the really good fun weather doesn't come until May for us up here. I learned a long time ago not to hope for anything but wet and cold until then. Nothing better that teaching in May and June however. That is sweet gravy time. I love having seasons however. I just do.
I completely know what you mean. Last spring we didn't get the last snowfall we ALWAYS get in March & April. I think it about June before I finally let myself believe that it wouldn't snow one more time :)
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