I Get a Shiver in My Bones Thinking About the Weather - Part I

I have been very lucky so far with respect to the weather in Warsaw so far. My first visit two years ago was almost all blue skies and sunshine. This year, the summer has been very nice, with a few hot days but mostly warm in the afternoons and cool at night. It is not unusual to experience a temperature variation of 20-30 degrees Fahrenheit within the course of 24 hours, but I have not felt a need for air conditioning here except for a few afternoons in the office, and I have only used a fan a few nights to sleep comfortably.

There have been a lot of days like this

Humidity is nowhere near New York levels. While it rains pretty often, there have been few days that were all wet – sometimes a beautiful day will suddenly turn dark, a heavy rain will fall for half an hour and then it will clear up again. I have taken to carrying an umbrella with me at all times just in case but I don’t need one terribly often.

All over the city, I see outdoor seating areas at cafes and restaurants: along the sidewalks, on the pedestrian streets, in the main square, in the parks and along the river. On the river itself, there are decommissioned boats that have been converted to restaurants. The weather has been nice enough to take advantage of this and it is a very pleasant way to pass the time.

Not a bad place for a glass of wine on a Sunday afternoon

And then there is the light. I had not fully realized how far north Warsaw is compared to New York, so the sun is rather intense and the summer days are very long. In June, the sun was coming up between 4:00 and 4:30 AM and it didn't get dark until after 10:00 PM. I am one who can’t really sleep when there is light in my bedroom and I was tired much of the time because I couldn't get a full night’s sleep. 

But, as I have been reminded numerous times already, I will likely change my tune when winter arrives. Already I have noticed that it is dark a full hour earlier each month and I am now waking up before the sun is up.

While my skin requires me to avoid a lot of sun, I notice that people here flock outside at every opportunity when the weather is nice and some will seek out a spot in the direct sun for even a few minutes. This does not seem to be for power-tanning purposes as I have often seen in New York, but instead to take advantage of the sunlight while it is here – because for long stretches there is not much of it. 

Similar to when I was in Ireland (which is similarly changeable) a big topic of conversation is the weather, particularly as the weekends approach. And, as the foreigner in a conversation, people feel a need to warn me about what is to come. I have been told that November is the worst month to be in Poland – not the coldest but gloomy, wet, getting colder and with the days getting rapidly shorter. I've been advised to save up vacation time so I can go away then.

Whether these predictions will come true remains to be seen. From what I understand, Poland had a milder winter last year than New York did, and regardless of your belief in climate change, most people I speak to around the world agree that the patterns they have long known haven’t been holding true the past few years. So, maybe I will be lucky this winter. 

Regardless, I am in Eastern Europe and I expect a cold winter, but I am comforted by a few things – mostly that this is not Armenia. The buildings here are insulated, and I learned that I can withstand cold more easily if I know my destination will be warm. I have heat in every room in my apartment (including the bathrooms), so I know I won’t need to stay in one room for months at a time, sleep fully dressed inside a sleeping bag or set a space heater in the bathroom to plan for a shower. There is a bus that runs past both my apartment and my office (and it runs on a pretty tight schedule) so I can avoid walking and waiting in the rain or cold if need be. If the sidewalks are not cleared of ice, I have my Yak Trax that I kept from my Peace Corps days and there is nighttime street lighting so I will be able to see where the icy patches are.

Still, my time in Armenia (or maybe just getting older) has made me a little less tolerant of the cold. I'm not quite ready to move to Florida yet, but I am prepped in case it turns out to be harsh. My Kindle is loaded up, I have plenty of movies on my computer to watch, and Tunisia is a relatively short flight from here. 

Winter is coming? Bring it on.

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Part II of this will be posted sometime during or after winter. I will probably be eating those last words above by that point.