The joke about California is, we don’t have real weather. But California is a big state with widely varying topology, so that’s not exactly true.
The mild weather areas for which we’re famous (Bay Area, the Southland) make us seem spoiled, compared to other parts of the country. Visitors to the region must chuckle when the local news reports warning of temps dipping below 45 degrees.
Seasons are not just about weather, though. Winter light, and winter nights are markedly different than their summer counterparts.
It gets dark so darn early – by dinner time, in most places. It changes our lives every season. That evening commute is even more hateful in the dark, isn’t it?
The winter in California does mean snow for some folks, albeit not on a level seen in say, Buffalo, New York. The darkness and the chillier temperatures change our habits somewhat. It takes a little more fortitude to venture out in the evening, which now starts about 5pm.
There is a reward for this. If you have to grab an umbrella, an overcoat, or even install tire chains to go out, you do it for a good reason. No, you’re probably not going to lounge around the patio in shirtsleeves and pick. Instead, you arrive at your destination (after some effort!) to see lights burning in the windows, and the sight of people enjoying a cozy night out of the cold.
You enter the building (the tavern, the friend’s house, the concert venue), and you shake the snow off your boots, or the rain off your umbrella and you stash your coat to join the cozy warmth, and the company of friends.
Yes, you probably do this year ‘round, but something about the short days triggers a desire to embrace the comfort of friends in a warm place, and it’s poignant in a way the mild summer nights are not.
So, it ain’t just the weather, it’s life in the Northern Hemisphere, and we Calfornians don’t need snow to know when it’s winter. The clues are all around us and we instinctively react and take advantage of the joys the winter has to offer.
