Thoughts, ramblings and other stuff

Once again we are on the crazy rollercoaster of temperatures. It's been pretty warm for past few days but another winter storm is coming. The temperatures will be dropping tomorrow and snow and ice is coming. They keep changing information about when exactly and how much but it can be anything from a deep cover of snow to turning everything in icicles. And most of the forecast agree the temperatures will never rise above freezing on Wednesday. I'm pretty sure it will also snow on Wednesday even though they are not sure yet. I know because I have to travel on Wednesday.

And these will have a chance to reform (no one turn off the fountains around here no matter how cold it gets)


At least the weather changes give us some spectacular clouds this winter

It was 5^oC and the windchill made it feel even colder on Saturday. It was 18 on Monday. Sunny and warm. On Tuesday night temperature dropped below -10 and it felt even colder. It also snowed a tiny bit - just enough to freeze into frosting on cars and grass. It was below 0 during the day on yesterday and it's supposed to be again tomorrow. Then it will get warmer once again - up to +13 on Monday and then dip below 0 again on the next day.

It's not that I can't take the cold - I have the proper clothes and shoes and it's not that cold during the day. It's the temperature jumps that get me. As my brother said about the -12 during the day (-17 with windchill) weather that Poland has right now (the warmth is over) - at least when it's cold all the time you get used to dealing with it. Not that I want to have it as cold as it is in Poland now but if not for the wind the 0 to -5 day temp is my perfect winter weather. If only there was more snow I would be perfectly happy with it lasting for few weeks.
But my winter looked like this for one morning in supper snowy spot:                   This is my brother's winter:
                                                     

And of course it's still cold in my apartment. I can barely make it go up to 19^oC and it's usually around 18when I wake up. It's not fun sitting in such temperature. At least when I'm running around in my down jacket and UGGs and all that bothers me is the wind putting tears in my eyes. But if I were back home those tears would freeze so this is still nicer. But then I remember how far south I am and realise once again how much milder European climate is.

Think about this - Londoners are less likely to have cold weather like this then me here in subtropics. They can have flowers in their gardens that are more susceptible to cold. Of course for all of us the rarity of these events comes from the Global Warming. England used to have snowy winters - now it snow causes panic. Most of the US that is now hyperventilating about cold used to have days of weather like this every winter. It's just after a while the new weather patterns become normal and the ones that used to be normal become exceptional (see this post for nice graphics on this EDIT: And the new xkcd is perfectly on topic too). And then you call off the climate change because it's cold outside for few days. Even when the other hemisphere is melting from deadly heat (and I mean deadly - animals were dying in Australia including fruit bats falling dead from trees in temperatures reaching 50^oC - I can't even fully comprehend 50 but it makes me happy about -5 here).

I know a lot of people in Poland who complain about the cold and cloudiness but I think I was born to be northern European. I hate heat and 30-something is already too much for me but I'm also not really good with the temperatures below -10 - my eyes water and fingers freeze. I want to have seasons but without too many weather extremes and it's hard to accomplish that in continental climates.

When I was leaving home yesterday it still felt warm. It was a nice autumn day with few clouds. When I was leaving work I walked into November. Just like all the forecasts said - it god cold and drizzled that tiny, warmth-sucking rain that's the worst kind of weather. I'd rather it snows. And eventually it did. Later at night it got cold enough for the rain to turn into snow. It didn't last - ground is too warm and it melted as soon as it touched anything. Still, it snowed here in November.

Today was cold, sunny and very dry and the temperature has already dropped below freezing. And it feels even colder. It's supposed to get warmer until weekend ends and then it's supposed to get cold again. I was told it snow in November only happens every 15 years or so but this was a cold year in general and it looks like we are for a cold and early winter this year.

This will be my 5th (4.5) winter here. The first two where pretty snowy and my first December here was the coldest on record with early snow which supposedly also comes every several years. The third one skipped winter all together and went straight from autumn to spring. Last one was very warm until it got cold just as we all expected spring to start. Since then we had a lot of days with cold wind blowing from the north bringing colder then usual temperatures and it seems like it's still going strong. It might be my coldest and snowiest winter here. I can't wait. The panic this creates here never stops being amusing.

Well, until it turns out I have to go to that training in Boston and experience the real winter there. Winter temperatures there are similar to Warsaw but with more windchill and more snow. So I'd rather not do cold winter in Boston.

It finally got warm here. Just in time for holidays (in US Monday isn't a day off but at least here Friday is). It was warm and sunny today. I was even running around in just a t-shirt and it was just a little cool. It supposed to be even warmer in next 3 days (22C on Monday) although, in March tradition, it is to rain on Sunday. Even long term prognosis looks good (just one day of cold rain on Tuesday) but if we get cold rain it probably means another round of snow up North.

The March was colder then January here. In Poland (and rest of northern Europe) it is still winter. The snow melted on Christmas but they are having White Holidays on Easter. A week ago it was -15 at night. Today it snowed again. I would wish everyone spring for Easter but all is there in forecast is more snow and snow/rain mix with temperatures barely above 0 during day. So I just wish for the Jetstream to finally move and let the warm air in.

Yesterday it was +16 and sunny. Today it snowed the whole day. It was still too warm for the snow to last so it turned to water as soon as it touched anything but after several hours of this the grass and roofs were covered with a little batches of white. But it's only supposed to get below freezing late at night today so even though it's going to get quite cold (-6) all that will be left tomorrow is ice. Still being hit with snow, even instantly melting one, beats drizzle.

This strange cycling of (very) warm and cold weather leads to sights like this with a lot of trees blooming already (this is magnolia) being suddenly covered with snow (or ice). I'm just afraid that all the flowers will die during this two cold nights before it gets warmer again on Monday.

This is outside right now. It's not going to last as it's already raining more than snowing. It may turn into ice as the forecast predicts minus temperatures by morning but it's also finally is supposed to be sunny tomorrow so the ice won't last either. However, it just was over 20^o couple days ago and there were sandals and shorts and t-shirts and now it's snowing. At least it's better then the rain that's been dropping down (and getting colder) for the past few days. So Snow, YAY.

As you, probably, noticed the world didn't end (again), the Holidays are over and the New Year is almost here. I'm still kind of drowsy after all the food and all the family meetings but also from the cold I managed to catch. It's not bad but it's my first since I went to US and got sick right after I got there. So I went home and caught something just like half of the country it seems. I wonder if it's higher population density or the weather but I never managed to avoid winter sickness in Poland even when I'm inoculated against the flu like now. Or maybe I'm more resistant to illnesses from people who are not as closely related to me and therefore have different immune systems. But most likely it's because I don't meet children in US - those incubators of the worst plagues (I know I was one of them).

Anyway, I was fine for the first week when it first snowed and then got really cold. It was -10 or below during the day and the world was covered in snow or finely powdered ice:










Then the weather changed just before Christmas laughing at our faces for thinking it was going to be the white one. temperatures rose above 0 on Christmas Eve and the rain dealt got rid of the rest of the snow. It was +7 on Christmas and all that was left was some remnants of ice because the ground was frozen. Now the world is made of mud. In other words typical Polish winter.

Luckily I went to see the Christmas decorations on Warsaw's Royal Route when the snow was still there and it looked pretty - Nowy Świat i Krakowskie Przedmieście:




I like those glass bolls hanging from lamp posts best:

I told you how warm winter has been here. Now I'm going to show you the effects.

Magnolias has been blooming for a month now and they don't look like they are going to stop anytime soon. Some kind of early blooming fruit trees - that bloomed at least a month later last year. Forsythias and daffodils. All the early spring flowers. Already here.




Today was cold (for this winter here) - only 13C but tomorrow it's supposed to be 17 again.

Of course it can still change. After all it's still February and one never knows. It was super warm winter in Europe too until it suddenly got super cold. My family complains about the cold but it's not all that unusual for Poland. Just sudden. What really makes an impression is seeing palms under snow. Split under snow is so weird - much weirder then here despite being further north. What is so surprising is not the snow and cold. Last to winters had enough of that. It's the sudden change in weather. Poland had temperatures mostly above freezing for most of winter and then it suddenly got to -15 to -20 during day. It's also how far south and how long it lasts. Seeing Rome or even Algiers under snow makes this weather as weird as mine.

This is the climate change - extremes become more extreme.

Bonus - today's sunset:

it snowed whole night and then a little bit more during the day. The wet snow sticking to everything. In the last possible moment it turned into white Christmas. Here in North Carolina of all places. This is coldest December on record or as I call it winter.

( These photos are not black and white )

I went shopping with a friend because she is moving to a colder place and was looking for a winter coat. I was told about shopping craze after Christmas and expected crowds but the snow scared a lot of people so there was less people in the mall then on average Sunday. The funny thing was the roads were clear, black and often dry. It's television warnings to stay at home spreading panic made the whole shopping experience much easier for all of us.

It's winter on Northern hemisphere and it makes sure we all notice. The snow is falling like crazy both in North America and Europe. Blizzard raged in the US Midwest. You can see the worst snowstorm in two decades on Neil Gaimans blog. This is the kind of winter that I only heard of in stories as a kid. The second half of '80 in Poland was pretty snowless. At least dogs in snow are cute and cats obviously are smarter then everyone else.

Back home they just got another layer to already giant pile of snow. It started once again from the west. First causing traffic problems UK, France and Germany and then ending the heat wave in Middle East in giant storm. Israel went from 30 ^oC and drought to snow in the mountains and heavy rain everywhere else. No power, no cell phone reception but at least fires are out. In Poland snow just stopped and now it's getting cold. The minus temperatures already reached double digits. More pipes are going to burst.

In all of this I'm lucky to just have cold wind that chills below freezing temperatures another 6 ^oC (it means that -9 we had at night feels like -15 and it's cold even to me). The puddles and ponds are frozen (but it's not thick enough to walk on) but it's not cold enough to freeze running water but makes wonderful ice sculptures at the pool (no they didn't let the water out - probably didn't expected this could be necessary). But it's pretty:



( More Ice )

It's nice to look at now when I sit in my moderately warm flat (not made for this kind of weather) but I got cold taking those despite my serious winter clothes. And that even though it was a little bit warmer today. Tomorrow snow, snow with rain and then rain. In this order. Now I really feel Christmas is coming.

And in case you were wondering, no, it doesn't mean global warming has been canceled.