It is now the end of February, and I for one am done with winter. I will be happy to feel the air warm, and see the snow melt, leading to budding trees and greening grass in the weeks to come.
The month of March is nearly upon us, the gateway to springtime, the lone month standing between winter storms and April showers.
This winter has been much more like the winters I recall from my childhood. Lots of snow and plenty of cold air from November through to the end of February with March often acting as a wild card; more winter storms could be on the way, or it could be outright balmy over the next 30 days. However, after taking a look at the long range forecast on the Weather Network app on my phone, though it is a few degrees above zero as I write this column in the early hours of Tuesday morning, there are more double-digit below zero temperatures still in our future.
If the warm spring air arrives too quickly, I worry about the potential for flooding in some areas, given the large amount of snow we have received over the winter, much of that snow currently piled high along the sides of roads, parking lots, and driveways. As the temperatures do rise, it is a good time to steer clear of riverbanks as they can be slippery at this time of year, and a healthy spring melt can see significant amounts of tree branches, ice, and other debris mixed in with the rushing water caused by the spring melt.
While some will be sad to see winter end, I suspect that many parents of schoolaged children are eager for spring weather, if only to put an end to the numerous ‘snow days’ parents have experienced this winter, where buses were cancelled, or the schools themselves were closed, causing much frustration and many lost classroom hours.
While there are always complaints, often shared on social media, I think on the whole, given the frequent stormy weather that we have had this winter, the road maintenance crews, both municipal and county, have done a fine job. There is always room for improvement of course, but as I have written a time or two in the past, we are living in an era where expectations can sometimes be a little unrealistic, and demands can be a little higher than they likely should be. Mother Nature doesn’t hand out a schedule at the beginning of the winter season, and municipal and county road crews are at the mercy of whatever Mother Nature decides to throw at them. This year they have been behind the wheels of those plows for long hours, often for days on end. I am hopeful that they can all get some rest as this harsh winter shifts into spring.
As I noted in our print newspaper a couple of weeks ago, Wiarton Willie did not see his shadow this year, and so an early arrival of spring was predicted, though, as I wrote at the time, I have my doubts. Two weeks later, with the outside temperature having crept above zero, it certainly feels that spring could be just around the corner, but again, the long-range forecast is calling for a return of double-digit below zero temperatures after this week of warm-ish air is over, so I think we indeed have some winter weather still to come.
As I noted in that February 13 column in our print newspaper, “I am no meteorologist, though mind you, neither is Willie, but don’t tell his fans that a University of Waterloo study found his accuracy rate to be just 32 percent from 1999 through 2020.”
Even if you love winter, I suspect that you do not love having to scrape ice off your windshield early in the morning as you are trying to get to work, I suspect you aren’t thrilled after having shovelled the driveway for the fifth time in a week, and I would bet that you could do without another winter snowstorm bringing chaos to our roads and highways.
I for one am done with winter. As much as I enjoy chilly air, I am over sub-zero temperatures, and as much as I enjoy watching a winter storm through my windows from the warmth and comfort of my home, I am ready for green grass, rain, the chirping of birds, and the blooming of flowers. I am done with heavy winter boots, and the need to wear toques – bring on the sunshine and the ability to open all the windows in my home to allow fresh spring air to flow through.
I am ready to enjoy some time on a park bench watching the water, and listening to the birds as squirrels scamper from tree to tree. I am ready for the smell of backyard barbeques, for the sound of a baseball game on a radio next door, and I am ready to trade layers of flannel for lightweight summer clothing, and to swap winter boots for sandals.
Sorry winter, but this scribe is over you.
