What is Winter REALLY like in Florida?
Welcome to Paradise.
In the town where I grew up, my first true winter memory was a real blizzard. We were out of school for days, the subway shut down and people were stranded in office towers all over downtown. The National Guard was mobilized and we couldn't even get out of our driveway. On day 3, I remember taking a sled to the grocery store for food but we were too late. The great part of adventure we had during that time wasn't the snow, it was trying to locate the fire hydrants in an age before they had red metal flags to address the problem.
But, believe it or not that was not the winter I decided to move to Florida. It was the winter when it snowed on April 10. A brutal storm to survive is one thing but, a never ending, slow cascade of frozen precipitation is miserable. At some point, that type of winter weather just becomes a blanket of despair on top of any happiness you may be feeling. If that sounds overly dramatic you probably have never pumped gas after dark in 30 mph winds with driven freezing rain. There are not that many outdoor activities that are worse, and that's coming from someone who has been hissed at by an alligator.
So I try to appreciate everyday in Florida and not look back. Even this year when our family Christmas Eve tradition was undercut by unseasonably cool weather, which required us to wear sweatshirts just to stay comfortable! I put on a brave face and tried to be a good example for our son. So yeah, I guess that gives you an idea of what winter really is like in Florida.....
In the town where I grew up, my first true winter memory was a real blizzard. We were out of school for days, the subway shut down and people were stranded in office towers all over downtown. The National Guard was mobilized and we couldn't even get out of our driveway. On day 3, I remember taking a sled to the grocery store for food but we were too late. The great part of adventure we had during that time wasn't the snow, it was trying to locate the fire hydrants in an age before they had red metal flags to address the problem.
But, believe it or not that was not the winter I decided to move to Florida. It was the winter when it snowed on April 10. A brutal storm to survive is one thing but, a never ending, slow cascade of frozen precipitation is miserable. At some point, that type of winter weather just becomes a blanket of despair on top of any happiness you may be feeling. If that sounds overly dramatic you probably have never pumped gas after dark in 30 mph winds with driven freezing rain. There are not that many outdoor activities that are worse, and that's coming from someone who has been hissed at by an alligator.
So I try to appreciate everyday in Florida and not look back. Even this year when our family Christmas Eve tradition was undercut by unseasonably cool weather, which required us to wear sweatshirts just to stay comfortable! I put on a brave face and tried to be a good example for our son. So yeah, I guess that gives you an idea of what winter really is like in Florida.....
Cold Winter Day!
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