Friday, January 20, 2006

El Nino in Chicago

Having worked for years in the Government's environment portfolio, the words El Nino, greenhouse, and ozone (when particularly followed by the word layer) are well-known to me.

And without referring to global warming, there is simply no other way to explain why Chicago enjoyed 50+ degree temperatures yesterday. Why was I walking around without my winter coat on, in the middle of January? How come my hands were not freezing off when I abandoned all idea of wearing my spectacular Parisian leather duelling gloves?

I'll tell you why. Because Chicago's 10-foot high winter wall of snow is as mythical as the Abominable Snowman or Wee Nessie of the Loch. I hate to say it, but I'm calling the Consulate's bluff on this one. I have lived through only one snowstorm since I arrived in Chicago, and then every little flurry after that has been, in a word, wimpy.

Come on, weather man - give me something to work with here! I've got the coats, scarves, gloves, beanies, thermals, thick socks, and snow shoes. All dressed up and nowhere to go.

So as I shake my fist at the sky, and do a half-assed snow dance, I glance at today's Chicago Tribune and see that a monster snowfall is on its way during the course of next week.

Bring it.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Snowfalls? I laugh in the face of snowfalls - ha ha ha ha

You realise though now that you have tempted the weather man he's going to dump some mother load of snow just on your apartment so you have to climb out the top window onto the roof and slide down the side of the building which will by now be a big ski jump, Wooooosh off the bottom right to your bus stop. **it's all visual teehee**