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Though we are now a month into spring in the northern hemisphere, local temperatures have tended to remain stubbornly cold. Daytime highs will slowly creep up to around 15 degrees Celsius over the range of about half a week, only to crash back down to near-freezing the next day. The weather in the central United States tends to be unpredictable during this time of year, but I had hoped we would have had more balmy days by now.
This part of the world is subject to large swings in temperature throughout the year. Summer highs can soar up to 40 C and beyond, while winter lows can dip below -20 C. It seems one of the effects of climate change has been that such temperature swings have become more pronounced, leading to more intensely-cold winters, more brutally-hot summers, and shorter periods of mild weather in between.
The latter effect has weighed on me heavily in recent years. I feel as though I have fewer and fewer days to leave windows open around the house without getting uncomfortably warm or cold. There are fewer days I can go biking without risking heat exhaustion or being exposed to heavy rains. Our energy consumption has increased year-round as our heater and air conditioner try to compensate for larger disparities in temperature.
I spent much of my youth camping and hiking, so I can withstand extreme temperatures if I need to. But it's nice to have more warm, enjoyable weather, in which I don't have to put effort into staying cool or warm. That seems to almost be a luxury anymore.
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[Last updated: 2022-04-20]