With February reaching its end with the snap of finger, many of us take joy that the winter has been neither cold nor snowy.
Those of us who have lived through many a New England winter understand that March can turn into winter when our minds are already wandering toward the spring.
That’s what we have watch for carefully.
Thinking the winter is over is always a mistake.
The moment we exult in a warm day at the beginning of March we are hit by a snowstorm or two and below freezing temperatures, ice and high winds.
There is always the possibility that a non winter can be followed by non summer.
In 1816, known as the Year without Summer, severe climate abnormalities caused global temperatures to plummet making plantings and harvest impossible and leading to extreme starvation conditions nearly everywhere on the planet.
Snow fell in New England in June and July.
Throughout August there was snow, sleet and frost.
This was long before anyone understood the science of climate change.
With climate change, the summer will likely be hotter than cooler…but then…who knows what the future holds until the future is here?