Winter summary

21st March: winter is officially gone. Flowers start invading parks and gardens and the city looks more colourful every day. As I was walking down Park Street this morning, the Cathedral was looking so nice that I couldn't resist to take a picture.

PICTURE: The Cathedral in College Green, today.

I did a little bit of historical research of winter weather here in Bristol. Despite the fact that most of the days the morning temperature was below 0ºC, apparently it was not the coldest winter in Bristol at all. This following graph taken from "Bristol Weather" webpage shows data collected from 2001 up to today.

Summary Winter 2012/2013

First frost date: 30 November. And we had "just" 7 snowy days. Nothing to do with the 16 snowy days back in 2009 winter, with 19cm of snow depth. It did not rain much either, which is very nice. I can put up with the cold; I just put some more clothes on. But I can't stand the rain, don't like umbrellas. So, after all, it was not that bad. :)

Now, let's welcome spring with a flowery picture and a lovely poem by Billy Collins.

Today

BY Billy collins

If ever there were a spring day so perfect,

so uplifted by a warm intermittent breeze

that it made you want to throw

open all the windows in the house

and unlatch the door to the canary's cage,

indeed, rip the little door from its jamb,

a day when the cool brick paths

and the garden bursting with peonies

seemed so etched in sunlight

that you felt like taking

a hammer to the glass paperweight

on the living room end table,

releasing the inhabitants

from their snow-covered cottage

so they could walk out,

holding hands and squinting

into this larger dome of blue and white,

well, today is just that kind of day.

Bitten by Springtime

PICTURE: Broad Quay in Bristol, today.

Needless to say, today's topic was the weather. Rising from the coldness of the winter, a visible blue sky, bright sunbeams and very warm 14ºC (BBC said so) desperately shouted "Spring is here!"

Snow has completely melted and days last longer now. It is not dark anymore when you go to work, and it is not dark by the time you leave the office. Nevertheless, flowers did not come out yet, people do not have picnics yet, birds did not start to sing throughout the day... Nature is not awake yet. Spring does not officially start in the Northern Hemisphere until the vernal equinox at 7.02AM the 20th March, 2013. 

Today we have been bitten by spring. Do not get very excited, though. Apparently, showers will be back from tomorrow on, according to the weather forecast. It was good while it lasted!