Why I Hate Winter

Anybody who knows me knows how much I hate winter. 

Even as a child, I hated winter. Sure, I would go sledding or play outside in the snow, but I never liked it. I remember watching the Rose Parade in Pasadena and being so envious of the spectators in their short sleeves.

I have traveled to some very cold places in the winter: Yellowstone National Park, Russia (including to western Siberia) and far northern Canada -- but only for short periods of time and for good reasons. I can tolerate the cold when I know I can leave in a few days or a week. There’s no way I could ever live in a place that has extremely cold weather and tons of snow.

Why do I hate winter so much?

It's the cold.

It's the lack of daylight.

It's the heavy coat.

It's the hat.

It's the gloves.

It's the low angle of the sun that blinds me.

It's the fogged up eyeglasses.

It's sunset at 4:30 p.m.

It's the boots.

It's the ice.

It's the frozen water pipes.

It's the snow.

It's the laziness I feel.

It’s the desire to eat constantly.

It’s the lethargy.

It’s the sound of the furnace running and running and running incessantly.

It's the static electricity that zaps me every time I touch something, including my dogs

It's the increased chance of getting the flu or a cold.

It's the cold fingers and toes as I take my dogs for a walk.

The only good thing about winter where I live is that we get lots and lots of sunshine. The skies are generally blue, and the sun is usually shining brightly. I am fortunate to live in a place with 278 days of sunshine every year. And while that helps me cope with the winter, the sunshine doesn’t make it any warmer. Snow also help the desert get needed precipitation to fill the rivers and lakes. And that's about it.

So yes, I really do hate winter. I see nothing to recommend it whatsoever.