Radio Free Montone: The Weather Outside Is Delightful
By John Montone, 1010 WINS
The weather outside is delightful. And that's good.
And bad.
As reported on 1010 WINS, the European Forecast Model has predicted a long snowless stretch for the U.S. east coast. This comes after we enjoyed a November that often felt like September and an early December with daytime highs in the 50's. The Europeans have no flakes falling until at least mid-January. Could be that there El Nino out in the Pacific.
So a few days ago I was able to take a long walk along the Hudson in Hoboken with my jacket open. It was byoooootiful. Except that the New York City skyline with its dazzling glass, steel and concrete structures was a little out of focus. Not crystal clear like we might expect this time of year. And by Monday the spectacular view up and down the river that I usually get driving over the George Washington Bridge back to Jersey, was gone. Obscured by a toxic haze that hung below the Palisades.
At a dinner party the other night a fellow I know who enjoys nothing more than mowing his lawn, raking leaves and kicking his snow blower into gear was wondering whether he would get to use it this winter. He recalled the year he bought it and how it sat idle in his garage for two winters. A good blizzard perks up his spirits.
Last winter from early January to late March every morning I got into my car it was like sitting inside a moving igloo. The windows were iced over. The driver door frozen shut. The car seat and my seat cold. On more than one occasion my windshield wiper wells froze leaving me blinded with no fluid to clean off the icy black spray kicked up by other cars. But bad weather means more listeners to 1010 WINS and more listeners means more sales dollars.
And so I put on my smiley face and dealt with the Accu Weather Real Feel temperatures of minus ten to ten above. Until Presidents' Day weekend when I took a walk out onto the frozen Barnegat Bay to snap a photo of the setting sun touching down on ice, didn't realize my buddy had heat running under his dock and fell through the ice. I got out alive, but swore off cold weather for good.
And yet, warm in December in New York is a bit freakish. Joggers in shorts running by Christmas tree stands. Sweating Santas. Hot chocolate? No thank you.
Still, if this keeps up we can all stick it to Con Ed and PSE&G. Save a few bucks for beers on the beach next summer. But a warm winter could be yet another sign the planet is heating up. Melting ice bergs. Streets, subways and barrier islands under salt water. And yet, 55-degrees feels a lot better than 15. Sneakers trump galoshes. No hat head from wool caps. And no rock salt stains on the living room rug.
So the weather outside is delightful. And that's good. And bad. And there's nothing we can do about it anyway.
