# Spring's almost over. Why's it so damned cold? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 12, 2008, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springs-almost-over-whys-it-so-damned-cold/449029 "2008-05-12T15:18:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iwakura43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de0a6/32.png) [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springs-almost-over-whys-it-so-damned-cold/449029/1 "2008-05-12T15:18:55Z")
Here in New Jersey we’ve had a week, maybe two total, of beautiful spring. Here it’s three weeks from summer and I’m sitting here freezing my ass off. What is this an El Nino year or something? ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springs-almost-over-whys-it-so-damned-cold/449029/2 "2008-05-12T15:22:46Z")
And I just planted four lilacs this weekend. They better not die ‘cause I ain’t doin’ it agin. **MrsChief** and I walked the boards from S. Belmar to the Shark River inlet last night and, though it was a tad breezy, it was pleasant enough evening. I didn’t catch the news or weather yesterday so I was quite surprised when I woke up this morning to sideways rain. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springs-almost-over-whys-it-so-damned-cold/449029/3 "2008-05-12T15:23:39Z")
Same here. There’ve been some years when I’ve had the AC on by now. There’s only been one day when the furnace didn’t run – it’s set at 68. We’ve had only one really warm day, a few when I didn’t wear a jacket, but mostly it’s been cool. And windy. And rainy. I talked to one of my boys in Seattle yesterday. He says three of their softball games have been rained out, and one was snowed out. That’s a first in all the years he’s been playing. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springs-almost-over-whys-it-so-damned-cold/449029/4 "2008-05-12T15:33:46Z")
I’m sure we can blame it on global warming, if we try hard enough. 😉 It’s very nice down here in Texas–it was in the mid-60s this morning, which is right where I like it. The longer the heat holds off, the happier I’ll be. I’m sorry to hear you northerly types aren’t enjoying it as much. ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springs-almost-over-whys-it-so-damned-cold/449029/5 "2008-05-12T15:43:04Z")
[silver lining] All the cold and rainy weather we’ve had should keep the gypsy moths down this year. [/silver lining] ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springs-almost-over-whys-it-so-damned-cold/449029/6 "2008-05-12T15:46:01Z")
All that bad-weather ruckus yesterday? When I came out from church yesterday morning, there were sleet balls mixed in with the rain on my windshield. And we’re not even Minnesota, either. We’re the Toasty South in comparison. I mean, day-um! ---
**Author:** ![Engineer\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9fc29f/32.png) [@Engineer\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engineer_Dude)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springs-almost-over-whys-it-so-damned-cold/449029/7 "2008-05-12T15:47:14Z")
[QUOTE=iwakura43] Here it’s three weeks from summer and I’m sitting here freezing my ass off. [/QUOTE] Five and a half weeks by my count 😕☹ ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springs-almost-over-whys-it-so-damned-cold/449029/8 "2008-05-12T15:48:45Z")
I can’t believe I had to close up the house. Even less can I believe that the furnace has kicked on a couple of times (set at 67). I’m glad for the rain, since we’re still in a bit of a deficit from past droughts, but dang, I didn’t need the water intrusion in the basement, nor did I need the detour at work because part of the perimeter road was under water. In theory, we get sun tomorrow. It’d be nice to see something other than grey. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springs-almost-over-whys-it-so-damned-cold/449029/9 "2008-05-12T15:49:11Z")
So far I have been enjoying the cooler weather. The less time I spend in the sweltering heat the happier I will be! ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springs-almost-over-whys-it-so-damned-cold/449029/10 "2008-05-12T15:56:05Z")
[QUOTE=ChiefScott] [silver lining] All the cold and rainy weather we’ve had should keep the gypsy moths down this year. [/silver lining] [/QUOTE] Nope. I thought the same thing. They hatch out before leaves or flower buds. It turned freezing for a week and they stayed alive without eating in freezing weather. There are so many now they are on species they don’t normally go for. This is a really bad outbreak here. It’s been cold and rainy here almost all spring. ---
**Author:** ![iwakura43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de0a6/32.png) [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springs-almost-over-whys-it-so-damned-cold/449029/11 "2008-05-12T16:58:09Z")
[QUOTE=Engineer Dude] Five and a half weeks by my count 😕☹ [/QUOTE] [Cecil led me](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_170b.html) to consider summer as just June, July, and August. Easier to remember anyhow. ---
**Author:** ![hellpaso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@hellpaso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hellpaso)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springs-almost-over-whys-it-so-damned-cold/449029/12 "2008-05-12T20:42:43Z")
hey enjoy the cool weather. down here, they’re predicting a heat index of 115. it’s summer all year for me. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springs-almost-over-whys-it-so-damned-cold/449029/13 "2008-05-12T20:50:15Z")
If the entire year looked and felt like this, Vegas would be paradise. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springs-almost-over-whys-it-so-damned-cold/449029/14 "2008-05-12T21:49:58Z")
[QUOTE=hellpaso] hey enjoy the cool weather. down here, they’re predicting a heat index of 115. it’s summer all year for me. [/QUOTE] Only to be said by somebody that hasn’t frozen 7 months. We only get two months of summer. You have to resent the partial loss of warm time, and leaves on the trees. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springs-almost-over-whys-it-so-damned-cold/449029/15 "2008-05-12T22:33:29Z")
[QUOTE=Engineer Dude] Five and a half weeks by my count 😕☹ [/QUOTE] Here in Central Illinois, we generally have “Summer” kick in by the middle of May, when temps abruptly climb into the high 80s/low 90s, and then stay there until mid-September. “June, July, and August” my Aunt Fannie. And it did that even _before_ global warming. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springs-almost-over-whys-it-so-damned-cold/449029/16 "2008-05-13T00:25:46Z")
After two weeks with my air conditioning on, it was a pleasure yesterday to open up some windows and enjoy the cool breezes. Of course, I accidentally left them open until 1 a.m., by which time it was _quite_ chilly, but I got blankets. ---
**Author:** ![Alpine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpine/32/17813_2.png) [@Alpine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpine)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springs-almost-over-whys-it-so-damned-cold/449029/17 "2008-05-13T00:35:04Z")
I know I sound like a broken record, but it’s supposed to snow 6 - 9 inches in the next 24 hours. Carp. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springs-almost-over-whys-it-so-damned-cold/449029/18 "2008-05-13T01:10:29Z")
Here in England it’s set to be the warmest first half of May ever (in records that go back 350 years!). Up to yesterday we’re running at 5.3C (9.5F) above average, and the temperature has hit 24C (75F) or above every day for the past week, with a high of 81F on Sunday. The highs would normally be about 63-65 at this time of year. Today’s [BBC weather forecast](http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/) has the summary “Another warm and sunny day”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springs-almost-over-whys-it-so-damned-cold/449029/19 "2008-05-13T01:27:52Z")
I just think it’s so _cute_ when it gets up to 80 in the UK and y’all start hollerin’ about a “heat wave”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springs-almost-over-whys-it-so-damned-cold/449029/20 "2008-05-13T02:08:34Z")
[QUOTE=Duck Duck Goose] Here in Central Illinois, we generally have “Summer” kick in by the middle of May, when temps abruptly climb into the high 80s/low 90s, and then stay there until mid-September. “June, July, and August” my Aunt Fannie. And it did that even _before_ global warming. [/QUOTE] Yep, in Australia the seasons are also counted off by calendar months, although June, July and August are obviously winter, rather than summer. As **Cecil** notes in the above-linked column, that’s often more logical from a temperature point of view than starting the seasons on the solstices and equinoxes. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/springs-almost-over-whys-it-so-damned-cold/449029.md?page=2)