The Summer Heatwaves

I normally don't write about the weather, unless it's extraordinary. And I have to say, this year the summer was absolutely extraordinary. There were heat waves, forest fires, and many other atypical events.

Autumn Is Here

It is late September, and the Autumnal Equinox just passed by. It's balmy weather, and somehow, this brings memories. It's also my favourite weather more or less. At 17 degrees, it's not too warm and not too cold.

Two Weeks of Winter

Two weeks ago, I wrote about how I was excited to see snow again. It turned out that winter was here with us for a while, since for the last two weeks, we actually had a blanket of snow, and the temperatures were way below freezing, hovering at around -10 Celsius. In Berlin, that hasn't been the norm for winter recently, so even though it was indeed freezing cold outside, I was quite happy to see a different weather.

Seeing Snow Again

Ever since I have moved to Berlin 9 years ago, I haven't really seen snow much. Of course, I have a high bar of comparison: I was coming from Buffalo, where winter was definitely a massive endeavour, and there would be snow everywhere for quite a while. I've seen mountains of snow and massive snowplows dealing with the white stuff. But here in Berlin, snow isn't a reliable weather phenomenon. Some years there would be some, other years there wouldn't be any. So when it arrives, it is a big deal. Like last weekend.

Walking in the Midst of Dead Swirling Leaves

Autumn is here. After one final week of warm weather, where the temperatures were hovering between 25 and 32 C, some strong wind came and dropped the numbers immediately. Now, we're see-sawing within the 8 to 16 C range, so it definitely is time to bring out the sweaters and the cardigans. It's also the time for dead leaves.

Heatwave

Berlin's summers aren't hot and scorching periods. But every now and then, there are stretches of days when things are just too hot. This was the case during the end of July, when temperatures kept on pushing up to mid-30s and it was really hot outside.

Crazy about the Weather

Last month, during Easter weekend, the weather here in Berlin was crazy. It was even snowing! And so plenty of people were depressed. Then the week after, things were amazingly bright and sunny, and everyone was happy. Funny how the weather affects people's moods, eh?

Winter: "Don't dream it's over"

When we all thought that winter was finally over (not that it was a heavy winter, it was actually mild), then comes the Siberian wind, sending temperatures down to -15 C this past few days. It's like winter was singing that song by Crowded House.

Missing Snow?

It's the middle of winter here in Berlin. However, we don't have a lot of snow. So that during the days that it actually snows, it is rather exciting. Of course, after a few hours it would melt, but nevertheless it is an exciting sight to see the white flakes falling down.

Spring and the Outside Tables

Since last month, Spring has been in full swing here in Berlin. The cold has gone, the warm weather is here, and since the first week of April, the city has been seeing warm temperatures hovering around 18 degrees. The trees have been blooming with flowers. And because of this, cafes and restaurants have been setting up their outside tables.

Green Explosion

I never realized how green Berlin is. There's just so many trees around the city, and there are so many green spaces within the city limits. There are so many parks and meadows, and so there are just plenty of places where one can get out and appreciate greenery and nature.

Snow and the Little German Comb

A month ago, winter came back to Berlin. There were successive days of warmth, and the sun finally came out again. However, there was a cold front, that after enjoying a few days of 15-degree weather, we were all reminded of winter and negative temperatures. And with it, snow also fell, and guessing from the amount of snow on top of the cars, it probably was around 4-6 inches worth. This was during the weekend of March 8-11.

Umbrellas in Winter

I am writing this piece from the second floor of Sankt Oberholz, a cafe in Rosenthaler Platz, in the middle of Berlin. As I gaze out the window, looking at the heavy snowfall in the middle of December, I am amazed at how some of the people deal with it. After living in Buffalo for a full 7 years (7 years and 15 days, to be exact), I know what snow is like, and can deal with it.

Getting Colder

It is slowly getting colder here in Berlin. Or rather, it immediately became colder. Back in October even.

Escaping the Heat

A few weeks ago, the weather was so hot here in Buffalo. It seemed that we baked and baked, that we all decided to head out and find places that have air-conditioning. Later on, I learned that the heat wave that the United States experienced from late June to mid-July was the worst since 1956.

The Coldest

Finally, it's getting warm. They say that this winter has been the coldest, and reports have said that Buffalo has never been this cold since 1905. I agree, November last year might have been an easy ride, with a relatively warm weather, but immediately after that, when December hit, things changed suddenly.

The Snowstorm that Wasn't

Two weeks ago, we had a "snowstorm". Yep, there's quotation marks on them. The thing is, it was a rather weird experience, and surreal too. There are things you expect, and then there are things that actually happen. And with this snowstorm, it was more of an oxymoron.

Super Frigid Open-Air Freezer

Oh why oh why is it so cold? Yesterday, I cannot believe it, but it was -21 degrees Celsius here! I think that was the coldest it has been this winter, and I am freezing. Last Friday, I was walking home, and for some reason, I stupidly was not wearing my hat. The wind blew, and oh my Godzilla, my ear hurt! It turned red. I immediately fished my hat out of my bag and put it on.

Hello People from the Falls!

What do you do if you have a multiple-entry Canadian visa, and you know that there's a concert right across the border?

Yeah, that was a rhetorical question.

White Snow

Why is it that the moment the calendar changes from November to December, the first real snow would also arrive? Last year, that was the case as well. And this year, it is never different. We already had the first snow last week, but that didn't really stick. This time, however, we are expecting about 7 to 12 inches within the next 24 hours.

I don't know, I guess it's just funny that there are patterns and rhythms that hold across years like that. Although they say that this winter will be warmer than last year for us at least, unlike last year, when the East Coast was lashed with snowstorms one after another. And I guess some support for that forecast was already given, with the Pacific Northwest getting a lot of snow since last month, but we're still relatively warm.

Oh well, the semester will end in a week and a half. The last day of classes will be next week Friday, and after that, there will be a final exam. Then there will be winter break, which will give me enough time to work hard on my dissertation without any distractions. Although there's an occasion to travel and give a talk (technically, I am just second author, so I am not the one giving it, but in case the first author gets shot and become incapacitated, I better be able to deliver it in his place).

(Ancient Dwellings, from my Pukapukara Series)