I am about done with winter. Too bad it ain’t done with me.
The last weekend in January we were hit with an ice storm that Raleigh down for 3 days due to sleet, ice and frozen rain followed by frigid temperatures. The ice finally melted a few days later making the roads drivable once again. Then the next weekend, we were hit with a snowstorm that shut us down for 3 more days.
I hate winter.
Other than when I lived in Florida, January and February have always been my least favorite months of the year.
This year, it’s been easier for me to get through these month. I quit swimming. I have taken a more reasonable approach toward dealing with cold weather. I no longer dread swimming in cold pools or taking hours to warm up afterward. I no longer navigate traffic, weather closures or road conditions driving to the pool.
This has made winter better. But it still sucks as far as I’m concerned.
Last week, we had a couple of phenomenal days with low temps in the 50s and highs in the 60s and 70s. The daffodils are popping up. Trees are starting get buds. It felt like Spring was in the air.
I knew it wouldn’t stay that warm yet but I had hopes that that our coldest days were past us for the season.
Nope.
Temperatures plummeted into the 20s with wind gusts making it feel like the low teens. High temps some days never broke the mid 30s.
As someone who walks outside several hours every day, I despise it.
I shouldn’t be surprised. I’ve lived in Raleigh twice for a total of 11 years. Every winter we have a few warm, sunny days as an early Spring teaser. I always have a little spike of hope that I can put away my arctic clothing before April.
It never happens.
January and February are still my least favorite months. March is much better even though we’ll still have some below freezing mornings.
It’s 1000 times better than when I lived in Pittsburgh. There the winters were long, cold, gray and dreary from November through May. At least here we have many more sunny and warmer days until Spring arrives.
Still – every February, when I just about reach the end of my rope, I think about relocating back to Florida. Or maybe to Southern California.
Who knows? I might have one more relo in me. Now that I don’t have to think about designing my life around daily swimming, I could live almost anywhere as long as I can afford it.
I have no plans to start looking today.
But enough frigid Februaries could convince me to reconsider.