I moved from the Midwest to the desert southwest when I was four, meaning I know very little about weather that isn’t either hot and dry, or cold-ish and dry. Rainstorms are few and far between here, which makes them extra special when we do get them.
Back in 2020, we went for 240 days without any measurable rainfall. I think we all cheered here in the office when we finally broke that dry spell. Our second longest spell was 214 days, which ended only just a month ago, on February 13th. So far, this past week, we’ve had plenty of cloudy days and even a bit of rain, so I’m hopeful that this year will be better.
So, what is it about a rainy day that I love so much? In the wintertime, it feels cozy to be inside, under a warm blanket, cuddled with a cat, a book, and a hot drink. It’s comforting to be inside, safe and warm, while it’s chaos outside. Knowing you don’t have to go out into it and can sit and enjoy the patter of the rain is a beautiful thing, in my opinion.
In the summertime, it’s a whole other story. From late June through mid-August, we get monsoons. These storms tend to roll in during the early afternoon, dump a ton of rain in a short time, and move on. They can be incredibly crazy to experience, often causing widespread flooding. They also bring a small respite from the blazing heat, which is always welcome in these parts. The residual humidity they leave behind, however, is not. I will cope with elevated humidity for a brief break from triple-digit heat.
When I was a child, my grandparents lived in Phoenix, AZ. My grandfather had screened in his back porch so that he could sit outside, away from the bugs and the scorching sun, and read his paper. But I discovered that I loved sitting out there with a book during those afternoon monsoons. The sound of the drops hitting the aluminum cover, the cool breeze, and the peace it brought me was amazing. I miss being able to experience that. My back patio isn’t screened in, but it does have a cover. Hopefully, if we have a more normal monsoon season this year, I can try and recreate that experience as an adult. Thankfully, my Kobo is waterproof, just in case.
Do you enjoy rainy days? Or are you in an area that gets a lot of rain? I’m sure that if I lived in the Pacific Northwest area, I probably wouldn’t be so enthused about rainy days, but then, maybe I would? All I do know is that, as long as I am not cold, I am happy.
I grew up in the Midwest so we got what I’ll call your “basic” rainfall. However, I don’t like rainy days. On the very days I could curl up with coffee and a book, I’m staring out the window wishing it wasn’t gloomy. Even though I’m not a hot weather girl (80’s) I suppose I’m a sunshine gal anyway.
I totally get that. We have so few cloudy days here that you instantly miss the sun when it’s not shining. But when your average rainfall is about 5″ a year, you miss that, too! Or, at least, I do.
Ttally with you when it’s wet & stormy but you don’t have to go anywhere! It’s a bit different here as in Auckland (NZ) where I live annual average rainfall is 1200mm (about 47 in), and while we get a bit more in winter than summer (no snow thankfully), we pretty much get more than I need all year long! And it’s humid with it in summer and damp in winter, so not very pleasant a lot of the time. I can’t complain too much this year though as we’ve had a lot less rain than normal so far. I’m hopeful it will be just enough to keep our dams full enough over winter but not so much as to be annoying!
Spring is a very rainy season here in Ontario! Thunderstorms are common, and sometimes we get tornadoes, too.
I like rainy days unless we get them all in a row for a week or something. But thunder and lighting are cool, and soon enough all of that mud outside will dry up and summer will be here.