I did a quick check on accuweather.com to see just how much precipitation has fallen. The answer: not much. In the last 7 months there has been only one precipitation event: a 2" snowfall with 0.20" water on November 4, 2011. To find the next previous incident of measurable precipitation, I had to go back to June 4-6, 2011, where over the three days, we received 2.44" of rain.
As a runner and outdoors kind of guy, I like being able to access the trails that are typically under meters of snow this time of year. However, my enthusiasm is tempered by knowing unless we get some serious snowfall, the summer fire season is going to get really ugly and be a spring, summer, fall and winter fire season. Also, if we are to get back to average snowfalls, it means a cold, and wet spring. Ugh.
I am starting to wonder if the changes we are experiencing will become the new norm? Last year, we received a lot of snow in December from a couple of serious storms, then a very dry and warm January and February, followed by a cold, wet spring. This year appears to be following a similar pattern, though without the storms that pummeled the area in Dec 2010. Only time and more data will tell.
On a different note, I am off to Columbus, OH for the next couple of weeks. Off to the land of cold, gray and flat. I'll miss the hill running, though I will try to get the miles in, regardless. I need to keep up on the goals!
But before I go, I am participating in my first race (Centennial Slug It Out 10k) in almost 2 years. I am not considering it a race though; it's just a run with a lot of people who happen to be wearing numbers. If I think of it as a race, and I don't do as well as I want (which has never happened), I'll go all dysthymic and make the airplane ride the next day worse. So, it's just a run... It's just a run... It's just a run.