If you read that question out of context, it sounds dumb. Yet, I’m sure that same question is asked every single day by someone living here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. We have the perfect climate … for change, that is. Our seasons are well-defined. Each has its own distinctive impact on the air and land.

Every weather event imaginable can happen in our spring: snow, rain, sleet, hail, wind, heat and freezing. The average high/low for the spring is 69/28. But from its beginning on March 21 to its end on June 21, you can experience it all! You’ll scrape the frost from your windshield on the way to work and put the air conditioning on for the ride home. (I leave more coats behind places in the spring than any other season.) Our plants mark the time with great consistency. Those crocuses will pop up right at the end of February. In mid-April, the leaves come out on the trees. On Memorial Day, I know my peonies will bloom.

Leading into the summer, our land is usually very green and lush. The old saying about April showers may be true, but on average, we have more rain in June than any other month. It’s well into July by the time the grass clippings stop being quite so heavy and wet. Our average high/low for the summer is 82/57. The 82 usually feels hotter due to the humidity. (WNEP’s Joe) Snedeker could tell me a good reason for the humidity in our area as opposed to the flatter lands out west, dew point or something, but I’m at a loss to explain why. I know this: my hair curls really well in the humidity. But, I find it very uncomfortable. I was surprised that our record high was only 101F in 1988. I thought it’d have to be much higher.

My favorite season is autumn. The days are still warm enough and the evenings are cool. Most of the humidity is gone and the air is as crisp as the leaves. I watch in amazement every year as the leaves change. I love the smells of the final harvest. I like pumpkins and apple cider. I totally love the fall fashions (and revel in not having to shave my legs daily)! I wonder what the heck they do in Florida! I’d get sick of the same old clothing all year round.

Some will say our winters aren’t as cold or snowy as they used to be â€Â¦ blah, blah, blah. Those same people forget that winter doesn’t start until December 21. Our coldest month is January and February isn’t too far behind. Maybe we’re experiencing some man-made global warming, but the record low was recorded not so long ago in 1994, (negative!) -21F! That’s cold! But, the average low for our winters is 18 degrees. The average annual snowfall is 49 inches! This is just for the Wilkes-Barre area. It’s certainly warmer in the valley (1033 elevation) than it is in the mountainous regions. A perfect example of this is the difference between Lopez, a small city in Sullivan County (1200 elevation) and Wilkes-Barre. Lopez is sometimes referred to as “The Icebox”. Just last week, the temperature there was 77 and in Wilkes-Barre it was 86. That’s a pretty big difference for two cities that are only 44 miles apart. Imagine the difference in the winter. Betcha wool is the main ingredient in their closets.

We are indeed a hardy stock. Those of us living here can handle record highs over 100 and our wardrobes can cope with sub-zero. We shovel spots to park our cars and reserve them with lawn chairs! We send our kids trick-or-treating with snowsuits under their costumes. Yet, sometimes it’s too warm for them to wear their masks. We continue to adapt to the changes and find a way to enjoy them all!