I think we can safely say the weather lately has been mind-boggling. We arrived in San Francisco in February with expectations of a cold, foggy and damp climate. Instead we experienced warm and sunny weather during our first 4 or 5 weeks in the Bay Area. We enjoyed the weather. It was considerably more comfortable than the icy cold of winter that we left in New York City.
Suddenly everything changed. Snow in the Pacific Northwest, Eighty degree temperature readings throughout the upper Mid-West with New York not lagging far behind. In San Francisco the rains arrived along with cold winds off the Pacific. Fortunately we had planned a trip back to Florida to check on our home there. After flying over thunderstorms and tornados along with torrential flooding rains in the South we arrived safely in Southern Florida to peaceful 82 degree temperatures and lots of sunshine. The Weather Channel showed pictures of a snow storm in Arizona.
Another challenge faced us but we rose to the challenge. We boarded a plane in Miami and flew back to San Francisco. The next day we drove to Sebastopal, CA to attend a “celebration” of the life of a friend who recently died. The drive took place in a steady wind-driven downpour. The rain drove the planned outdoor “celebration” in-doors.
The next morning I boarded still another flight. I found myself in Seattle where I enjoyed a sunny, pleasant Sunday on the lake with my son and two granddaughters. The remainder of my week in Seattle however, was typical of Northwest weather with constant rain, drizzle, wind and chilly temperatures. Meanwhile two feet of new snow accumulated in the nearby Cascades. Come on, the calendar says spring has arrived and it was nearly April. The visit was punctuated by the first leg of my trip back to San Francisco. Seattle to Portland was the scariest flight I have experienced in a long time. The 80 passenger twin engine prop-jet was buffeted violently by turbulence throughout the flight. Later arriving in San Francisco I was greeted by sunshine and calm winds.
The weird weather changes from place to place have been mind-boggling. Put that together with traveling through multiple time zones and the recent “spring ahead” of daylight savings time and my mind is truly boggled.
And the weirdness of climate change goes on. The Weather Channel says 75,000 heat records in the U.S. were broke in March alone. It’s not over yet. The tornado season has struck Texas and other locales with a fury. Global warming is making itself felt.
Without question it has been a mind-boggling couple of weeks.
Stan the Man
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