March 20. Eleven more days. It can’t come soon enough. Officially, that’s the start of spring. Whether Mother Nature agrees, though, is anyone’s guess at this point. Early forecasts show she will be good to us, but how much can we actually rely on forecasts?
Spring is what we all need. We need a nice stroll downtown, in the park or on the boardwalk to reinvigorate us, to get us out of the doldrum into which winter plunges us every year, no matter how mild or extreme it is.
We got lucky this winter, with just one major snowstorm that crippled us for a week or so. It’s been bitter cold at times, too, as any winter is, and we got a sprinkling of wet weather last week. But, hey, it’s in the 70s this week!
No matter how bad it is, winter affects all of our moods, and it affects our bottom lines, too.
We’ll most likely be paying more in taxes, in some way, at some level, for pothole repairs and salt purchases.
Snow and cold weather affect local businesses as well, especially retail shops. Bad weather keeps patrons inside. The arrival of spring weather on a consistent basis will hopefully turn that around, and quickly.
Cold weather keeps people in the mindset of “no end in sight,” and prevents many from taking day trips to our state’s wonderful good-weather spots, or from planning future trips, as well.
In a little more than 60 days, the official start of the summer beach season will be here. Does that even sound right?
The good news is that it started to warm up this week. Spring really does look like it’s right around the corner. Let’s hope Mother Nature cooperates and doesn’t reverse the tide back to winter. Please spare us!
