The Winter That Hasn't Been

Matt sure wishes he was cross-country skiing.  But.  No such luck.  We had one measly inch of snow during the whole month of January.  That is almost ten inches below the January average from the previous 30 years.  

My new office with a hint of sunrise.  1/12/2026

Since I've lived here for almost 25 years I find that personally interesting.  It is all within my lived experience here.  It really has been a record-breakingly sparse winter.  Not just anecdotally.  Not just my opinion.  It is actually quantifiable.

Ginger has zero complaints about all the extra sunshine and warm weather.  1/31/2026

Matt and I have been making up for the dearth of skiing with near daily cycling.  Sometimes you just have to make lemonade with the lemons you get. 

Cycling to our friends' house for a dinner date/game night.  1/3/2026

It was 35 degrees yesterday morning when Matt and I cycled to work together.  It was noteworthy.  It actually felt like February.  Of course, by noon it was over 50 degrees.  As we cycled home it was 63 degrees shattering all the February vibes.  Matt was wearing short sleeves!  This weather lately has been just unbelievable.   Today is forecast to be another beautiful day.

I was grateful to see my Grandma briefly during a trip to the Hi-Line to sew with my mom/aunties/sister/cousins.  Photo credit to my aunt Annette.  1/30/2026

Plenty of people are happy about the unseasonable heatwave.  They are grilling on the patio.  Walking dogs in shorts.  Shooting hoops in the park.  A lot of folks also find it unsettling.  They are thinking of the fire season to come.  Of the impacts on local flora and fauna.  Seasonal traditions curtailed.  Of drought and climate change.

A stroll through Prickly Pear Park with my dad.  Photo credit to my dad.  12/20/2025  

Matt and I have missed winter this year.  Like I said, not everyone has... but we do.  There was a little taste of winter wonder back in December and ohhhhhhhhhh we were delighted!  10+ inches blanketed town and Matt immediately busted out our skis.  We also seized the opportunity to oooohhhh and ahhhhhed over Christmas lights sparkling on the glittering white throughout town.  It didn't last though because the temps shot right back up to the high 50s days later.  That should have been a sign, I guess.

Matt taking a rough measure of the snowfall accumulation.  12/12/2025

Because... then... spring came... in January.  Basically.

My friend Chelsey gave me my first chia pet last year.  It is fun to watch!  1/27/2026

It was 50 degrees on New Years Day--which was lucky for us since that was also the day our furnace went out.  On January 16th we reached a high of 65 degrees.  In January!!!

My mom was visiting over New Years Eve.  We brought her along to Kristin and Jason's for a little celebration--games, food, and watching the ball drop on TV.  12/31/2025

Our grass is greening.  The irises are leafing out.  The garlic patch has sprouted.  Buds are forming on the bushes.  (Our fair-weather adventurer) Ginger is back to meandering the backyard.  And its only February.  Matt started seeds for the garden early this year.  

I attended a reception and purchased Jim Baken's amazing book--Dolittleism.  Afterwards, I showed Ginger this photo of Jim's photograph of a mountain lion observing Jim's re-creation of Alice Neel’s Mother and Child.  It all felt wonderfully meta. 1/16/2026

January was hot, hot, hot.  Relatively speaking.  Like....cycling in a t-shirt, 50-60 degree days, and sunshine.  Unseasonably warm.  It is weird to complain about, but it feels wrong.  Again, I miss winter.  I wouldn't live here if I didn't enjoy the full range of seasons.  Snow is beautiful.  I dig the tuck-in, stay-cozy season.  

Snow is so pretty.  12/13/2025

The average high here in January was 45 degrees.  That's nine degrees hotter than the average over the previous 30 years.  The average low of 25.9 degrees, meanwhile, was eight degrees warmer than than the 30 year norm.  We only had three days in January where the high was less than freezing. 

Matt and I hosted a German-inspired vegan breakfast spread with some friends.  So much fresh fruit, veg, bread, meatz, and cheezes!  1/25/2026

Our mean daily average of 35.4 degrees in January was the highest since 2006.  

The Kitchen Dwellers fill the Pub Station with a sparkly swirl of discoball "snow."  1/29/2026

Last month I kept saying:  Just wait until February.  The other shoe has to drop eventually.   We can't just skip winter, right?  But, you know, the extended forecast sure doesn't seem like that's gonna be the case.  We shall see!!

Seeds sprouting under lights in the basement.  Nothing crazy like tomatoes, but it sure seems like we'll be able to plant out the bok choy a little early this year.  2/4/2026