Describe your seasons and climate

[PaddlingPitt]

Back from splitting and hauling. When exercising like this, I always start out dressed a little bit cool. As you suggest YC, working up a sweat is no good.

Had time to reflect while splitting. Just be be clear, I was not saying that the chill that can be produced by wind is not important. It certainly is. I was trying to suggest that I don't find any value in being told how cold I will feel if I leave my skin exposed. The point is, I don't leave my skin exposed. And, like you, YC, I love wool. I used to get a lot of cheap wool shirts and pants at garage sales. No one wears wool anymore, it seems. It's just not available. And I don't want to spend new prices for shirts like Pendleton. I am still wearing some Stanfields long underwear, top and bottom, from 20 years ago (not non-stop!), but some of it is becoming a bit threadbare.

(As an aside, and perhaps to be even more provocative, I don't even need to be told, or know, the ambient temperature. My body can feel it.)

"Dang, it's hot out today. Better take my parka off."

or

"Dang, it seems pretty cold out today. Where'd I put that parka?"

 

[Iskweo]

Yes, it is handy to know what the temp is but I can usually feel how cold it is by the exposed skin test. That and if it is tougher to breathe. So, it its really cold to the point where it causes me noticable discomfort then it is probably a bit cold for me to be out and about. Sure I have done the -50 thing, but I was aware and dressed for it.

If I am walking or snowshoeing I take my coat and tie it to my pack before I head into the bush. I go slower so I dont overheat and when I stop the coat goes on after I cool down. I use it when crossing open spaces too if needed. I am not above making a small fire to warm up a bit either.

I do a lot less of this now and spend most of the winter inside working in my garage.

Christy

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Funny that this thread seems to concentrate around winter. I love my winters. I can always add another layer of clothes for outdoor activities. But summer......When temps get above 90f, I lose interest in anything that doesn't involve getting wet. We get into the mid 100s here, and that is when I start getting cranky. Overall though, our climate is considered "mild", but still not boring.

 

[Guest]

In a word the last six months have been “Unseasonable”

Or maybe just plain “odd”. Our area received 7 inch more total annual rain in 2018 than ever before, and that was without a stalled hurricane or tropical depression dumping 20 inches. The first two weeks of July were the driest in 100+ years. The last two weeks of July rained enough (every day) to set the all-time record for the entire month of July.

It has been rainy and warm ever since; one minor snowfall and we haven’t refilled the wood box yet.

Of course this was the year I finally wised up and put snow tires on the 2WD Tacoma. Glad I waited to buy 300 lbs of sandbags to put in the bed. Still waiting.

Daytime highs in the 40’s (F) through next week, 55F on Tuesday. No snow.

This ain’t right. Not that I’m complaining short-term; it is finally, after 5 months of damp, supposed to dry out a bit over the coming week.

 

[yknpdlr]

It was a difficult summer/fall for me. Here in the northern NY summer we had a week at a time of 90+ temps, followed by a week of rain. then repeat, all summer. Highly unusual when I remember growing up in the same area it would be rare to have just two days during the summer that go much above 85F, touching 90 maybe one day during the entire summer. Most people ddid not have or need AC. Even more difficult for this year, since I am building an Adirondack camp on a no-motors lake. I had many trees to clear and cut up for firewood in the heat. The builder wanted to start construction around the first of October, but didn't have a single 2 day dry period to pour concrete for the basement floor. That constant wetness then cold dragged until our early November heavy snowfall and cold through December until we decided to give up until spring. Normally I figure snow before Thanksgiving is only temporary, on or after that day it will probably stay for the duration. But it remained cold and wet after the early November snow, and so it remains.

A canoe race partner of mine owns a landscape business near York PA. He has contract customers complaining all the time about him not getting to mow their lawns in the rain. But if he did they would complain about mowers tearing up the muddy turf.

 

[frozentripper]

Listening to AM radio last night, it seems California's finally getting rainfall again... the drought that had been going on there resulted in wildfires burning out some 12,000 houses and other structures and about 90 people killed... fire suppression costs running up to roughly $2 billion. Up here in Canada, Fort McMurray several years ago had some bad wildfires burning out part of the town.

The 2018 summer in Southern Ontario seemed warmer than normal... we mostly don't use AC and try and get used to summer heat with fans going inside the hiouse but this summer was unusual. There were some forest fires that were difficult to control, notably around the French river area, a canoe route. Downtown Toronto was flooded by a combination of heavy rainfall and old antiquated sewers being unable to carry away excess stormwater.

And Europe had very unusual drought... photos of English countryside going brown and dry when rainy and foggy England stays green.

 

[LostCaper]

Short days and cold nights of winter can be unproductive. Time managing my homestead tasks is required if I hope to be canoe tripping in early spring.

 

[Grandpa Paddler]

When we moved to WNY 30yrs ago, we were told, "..if you don't like the weather in western NY, wait 5 minutes 'cuz it will change." How true it is!!!

 

[forest runes]

"Everyone talks about the weather but no one does anything about it." - Charles Dudley Warner

 

[Steve in Idaho]

When we moved to WNY 30yrs ago, we were told, "..if you don't like the weather in western NY, wait 5 minutes 'cuz it will change." How true it is!!!

Funny - that's what they've always said here. Not so much in summer anymore.

I thought we were going to have a rather dry winter here with meager snowpack. But now it's looking like we're going to catch up. When the lakes and rivers freeze, I turn to Nordic skiing for outdoor activity...IF there's enough snow. Last weekend saw us going from hiking and rock scrambling in the dry foothills to the west, then skiing and driving back in blizzard conditions in the mountains to the east. With the local lake frozen and ice jams in the rivers, it's nice to have options.

 

[Grandpa Paddler]

Funny - that's what they've always said here. Not so much in summer anymore.

I thought we were going to have a rather dry winter here with meager snowpack. But now it's looking like we're going to catch up. When the lakes and rivers freeze, I turn to Nordic skiing for outdoor activity...IF there's enough snow. Last weekend saw us going from hiking and rock scrambling in the dry foothills to the west, then skiing and driving back in blizzard conditions in the mountains to the east. With the local lake frozen and ice jams in the rivers, it's nice to have options.

For years Buffalo often makes national weather news because of the snow. I'm 30 miles south in ski country. I can see the slopes from our front windows. Other than plow curl and a thin base on only 4 slopes, there is NO snow. Rained pretty hard for a while today. Looks like my season pass was a waste of money.

 

[yellowcanoe]

thats a bummer but there is lots of winter left
I'd like to see a real storm. So far everyday a measly 2 inches
Then it rains
We have a foot of something hard and white
Its fun throwing the car into wacko skids with all the ice beneath
Ski grooming technology has come a long way hasn't it?
Really good here

 

[Grandpa Paddler]

Ski grooming technology has come a long way hasn't it?
Really good here

They usually do a great job here but the base is so thin they minimize the grooming as it hastens the thawing in this warm weather. Right now it is pouring rain.