While I was "gone" I probably wrote at least a dozen really excellent blog posts...in my head. At some point I'll get them all typed out, but for today I'll just briefly comment on the weather.
Having lived in the same midwestern climate for basically my whole life, I had internalized the rhythm of the seasons. We'd have a few flurries in October and November that would melt, by December we'd have snow that would stick, and that snow would stick around until March. It always snows during the boys' state hockey tournament in March. Never plant your garden before Mother's Day. August is unbearably humid. Etc.
I could tell you without any hesitation what was "normal" or not for our region.
But now we've moved from the "humid continental" climate of Minneapolis...
...to the "cold semi-arid" climate of our area of Montana.
(our two closest big cities)
For the most part, the weather is pretty similar. (It's not like we moved to Alabama or something!) But the effect of the mountains can't be underestimated! First, it's just much drier. Second, there are these crazy things called chinook winds that MELT ALL THE SNOW. In the middle of winter! It's crazy.
So, at the beginning of last week it was below zero most of the time, with single digit highs. Totally normal for January, right? But this week it hasn't yet dropped below freezing. Even at night! And today it was actually RAINING as I drove home from work. In January!!!
While in some ways this is the coolest thing ever, it's also quite disorienting! This whole week I've had to double check not only the exact date but also the MONTH! I could have sworn it was March, but instead it's only mid-January.
I keep checking with my coworkers to ask "is this normal?!?" and they keep assuring me it is. Apparently the averages are about the same as Minnesota (albeit a bit more dry) but the variability is even greater.
This is going to take some getting used to!
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