There It Goes, Already

by Nick Coons
Mar 17, 2004

I know we talked about this last year, but it seems to have come up again, though an entire month earlier. It was at the beginning of April 2003 when the temperature started to (quickly) creep up. And now it's March 2004, and it's doing the same thing, though much faster than before. Parts of the state have already broken 95 degrees, and it's technically still winter.

There seems to be differing views here. The first is that if it's 95 in the winter, how hot can it possibly get in the summer? On the other hand, the forecast (if you believe it) predicts a 10-degree drop down to nearly 85 sometime next week. So we may have simply had a fluke heat wave whip through the state.

Nonetheless, it's time to put your sweaters into storage and break out with the shorts and t-shirts, because it's going to keep getting warmer, and you won't need those winter clothes for at least another seven months. You may also want to take one last look at the cool weather before it leaves us until next fall. I plan to spend a weekend within the next couple of weeks up north. In certain areas, like Flagstaff, the daytime highs are sometimes still below 70 degrees. I'm going to take advantage of this for as long as I can, and I would recommend the same to others.

As a reminder, a month or so from now is also the time that home air-conditioning units start breaking down, and emergency service to have it repaired can be expensive. It's recommended that you maintain your unit as much as possible, such as changing the filter monthly. It may even be a good idea to schedule a specialist for a visit to take a quick look so he can tell you if any repairs are recommended for the near future.

Double-check the coolant level in your car, and keep water with you, even if it means stashing a gallon in the trunk or back seat. This can make you much more comfortable while waiting for a tow truck if your vehicle happens to break down.

The winters here are short, and the perfect weather passes as quickly as it came, but we tend to take it for granted. Remember that in the phrase, "it's a dry heat," that "dry" is the operative word.