Winter Happens

[TraceyM]

I think my brain has simply switched into "winter happens" mode and now I simply stock big on food ahead of expected storms, and wait out these colder months. I know that spring will come back. At that point I'll be saying "rain" happens. And come what used to be my favorite season, summer, I'll be thinking "heatwaves come and I wish I could go outside". But I do love fall, especially when it is just right for having colorful trees for a longer time. Still riding on the high from this past autumn! And yes, I'm lucky to not be having to try to get to a job when snow happens and hubby retired fall of 2020 so I also don't have to stress on him driving in bad weather. My daughter walks to work but can also easily work at home so she can handle the cold, snowy, or icy weather too.

Thoughts on winter, season transitions, on how you prep for the bad weather? Are you frustrated by the too-hot summers?

[lorigaud]

I hate winter. Not sure why I live in Maine lol. I don't really do anything special to prepare as far as supplies go, other than making sure that we have enough for at least a day or two. Usually the crews around here clean things up pretty quickly. I always excitedly anticipate the winter solstice when the days start getting longer again. This winter has been unusual here... very little snow so far, and zero snow days (I'm a teacher). Next up will be mud season, which is a mess, but I love spring when everything begins to bloom. Summer is my favorite since I'm on vacation, but I am thankful for air conditioning (and a sister with a camp on a lake) for those days that are hot and humid. I love fall when the temps actually change.... usually when we get back into school in September there are several really hot and sticky days, and we don't have AC in the building.

[vicky23ny]

I love Autumn, the most. I live in Greece, the summer is very hot and humid. I live in a city, so I NEED an AC unit. Winter is mild. I enjoy snow, but not where I live, it becomes very frustrating. I become more hopeful when the days start getting longer, that spring is coming. Who doesn't love the leaves and flowers blooming? The homes here are made of cement, so heating them is very costly. We don't have severe bad weather where we have to stock up. But I live downtown in my city, so everything is close by with my scooter.

[KristinCB]

well here where I live winters we get a lot of snow but because of the resources things like snow days or needing to prepare for the weather don't really happen. I think we've had one snow day here in the mountains and even when I lived in northern alberta I don't remember a single snow day.

I do not like the summer heat and every year it seems like wildfires and smoke will be a thing so that in itself is quite scary. Our town is at the end of the hwy with only one way out and last year there were fires to the north and south of us. With the way things are going with the weather I am not looking forward to summer at all.

[Kimberly27]

If it snows here the whole city shuts down. We had a big storm in 2021 and it lasted about a week...nothing on the shelves in the stores, everything closed...it was like C0V1d Again.
I don't mind the warm/heat too much. I get hot pretty easily right now but that is mostly at night...It will pass (hopefully).

When we have a cold snap which is rare...we don't go out much. I buy in bulk anyway bc teen boys so we always have food. My oldest works for Walmart too so I can text him to bring something home too if I need it.

Hubby and I talk about RVing one day and we will "chase to the weather" staying where it is mostly 70 to 75 degrees.

[lizziej]

I don't mind winter, but I HATE the ice, because everything shuts down, even with just a little bit, and if we get enough ice, the power lines get coated, and there's always the threat of losing power. We get it about once a year here in North Texas, and because we get it so infrequently, we don't have all that equipment that those of you up north have. They usually treat roadways with some kind of a liquid mixture, and sand is used on some small bridges and some streets.

The summers are very hot, and the last couple of years we've had temperatures up to 109 degrees F WITH humidity.

[lovely1m]

I despise winter. I live in an extreme weather place. It gets crazy cold. This year I thought I would take inspiration from people like KCB and not let it get me down. So I would continue outside walks and buy snow shoes. It's been the warmest, nicest winter I can ever remember. We have had only a couple of days below zero. The coldest walk I have had was 9 degrees. There's no snow to even try my snow shoes. lol I will take it all though and love it.

[KristinCB]

Originally Posted by lovely1m

I despise winter. I live in an extreme weather place. It gets crazy cold. This year I thought I would take inspiration from people like KCB and not let it get me down. So I would continue outside walks and buy snow shoes. It's been the warmest, nicest winter I can ever remember. We have had only a couple of days below zero. The coldest walk I have had was 9 degrees. There's no snow to even try my snow shoes. lol I will take it all though and love it.

maybe i will take inspiration from you and not let summer get me down.. and maybe that means we won't have a super hot summer?? hahaha

[AmieN1]

One of the things I love most about living here in eastern WA is that we get ALL 4 seasons and just when you're getting sick of one, the next comes along. It's often a joke that we have like 10+ seasons- I think we are on 2nd winter now since it snowed a couple days ago. My favorite is probably also Fall as we have such nice sunny, warm (not too hot) days & cooler evenings.

I always see these & laugh- just add in a "fire/smoke" season now at the end of summer & it's pretty accurate!

[JillW]

Ha ha! Our weather here in north central IL has been crazy this year. We got dumped on with nearly a foot of snow the first part of January - then had a week of minus 30 degree weather - the next week it was in the mid-40's and next week it is to be middle 50's! Mother Nature needs to get back on her meds! LOL!

[lovely1m]

Originally Posted by KristinCB

maybe i will take inspiration from you and not let summer get me down.. and maybe that means we won't have a super hot summer?? hahaha

I am so weird, I love warm. But mild 75 degrees is my favorite temp. Northern Minnesota stays so mild too, that's why we always plan hiking trips up there in the summer.

[TraceyM]

Originally Posted by lorigaud

I hate winter. Not sure why I live in Maine lol. I don't really do anything special to prepare as far as supplies go, other than making sure that we have enough for at least a day or two. Usually the crews around here clean things up pretty quickly. I always excitedly anticipate the winter solstice when the days start getting longer again. This winter has been unusual here... very little snow so far, and zero snow days (I'm a teacher). Next up will be mud season, which is a mess, but I love spring when everything begins to bloom. Summer is my favorite since I'm on vacation, but I am thankful for air conditioning (and a sister with a camp on a lake) for those days that are hot and humid. I love fall when the temps actually change.... usually when we get back into school in September there are several really hot and sticky days, and we don't have AC in the building.

I cracked up on your first couple sentences. I too was wondering how a gal who hates the cold landed in Maine!

[TraceyM]

Originally Posted by KristinCB

well here where I live winters we get a lot of snow but because of the resources things like snow days or needing to prepare for the weather don't really happen. I think we've had one snow day here in the mountains and even when I lived in northern alberta I don't remember a single snow day.

I do not like the summer heat and every year it seems like wildfires and smoke will be a thing so that in itself is quite scary. Our town is at the end of the hwy with only one way out and last year there were fires to the north and south of us. With the way things are going with the weather I am not looking forward to summer at all.

Thank goodness for spring and fall. Summer are definitely hotter here than they used to be. It's sad how much gets burned each summer these days and certainly makes breathing unpleasant or downright dangerous in some areas. Do you have a plan for the possibility of a fire getting back and you having to get out that one exit from your area?

[TraceyM]

Originally Posted by JillW

Ha ha! Our weather here in north central IL has been crazy this year. We got dumped on with nearly a foot of snow the first part of January - then had a week of minus 30 degree weather - the next week it was in the mid-40's and next week it is to be middle 50's! Mother Nature needs to get back on her meds! LOL!

Hmmm is it such a bad thing to have a larger portion of the winter warmer than normal? Especially after the beginning of January? In Portland (Oregon) last summer was not as brutal as so many have been and aside from the three ice storms in a row, winter has been okay so far.

[TraceyM]

Originally Posted by AmieN1

One of the things I love most about living here in eastern WA is that we get ALL 4 seasons and just when you're getting sick of one, the next comes along. It's often a joke that we have like 10+ seasons- I think we are on 2nd winter now since it snowed a couple days ago. My favorite is probably also Fall as we have such nice sunny, warm (not too hot) days & cooler evenings.

I always see these & laugh- just add in a "fire/smoke" season now at the end of summer & it's pretty accurate!

The question on the fires and smoke is which way they are coming from. When Portland was nice and smoke free last June, we flew up to Toronto and it was filled with smoke from Quebec! Couldn't quite win.