A hard winter

February is ending and there has been no relief here in NY, weather wise, during the past two months.  One snow storm after another and constant arctic, sub-zero temperatures have subjugated more than 80% of the USA to one of the worst winters in decades.  Extensive damages everywhere to properties and crops and miserable and difficult traveling conditions have affected great part of the population.  

As a more than half a century resident of NYC I have experienced many hard seasons here (with extremes in both winters and summers), but the peculiarity of this winter is the short time breaks in between storms, which have pounded the city with a steady continuity, in some cases with six separate snow falls within the space of a week! 

One big surprise last week was one single day when the temperature abruptly rose to 50F (10C). It helped melt most of the accumulation, but produced floods galore, and also some dangerous conditions of falling ice even from skyscrapers. Unfortunately, it was just a taste of spring since it lasted less than 24 hours. Now we are back again to  below zero, although the sun has shined brightly for a couple of days.

I am not looking forward to the upcoming weekend because the forecast is again bleak. We are told to expect between 6 to 12 inches of fresh snow, or even more…while I am supposed to fly out to reach Tirana where spring like weather has been the norm for the past month.  Additionally, I am also warned of a possible action on the part of the airline staff once we reach the connecting hub…….In addition to less comfortable conditions due to plane seats restructuring in economy class, people and mother nature’s tantrums, journeying by plane has become an unpleasant way to travel, at least for most.