Urban Adventure League

Abandoning the rain gear with reckless abandon

What weird weather we've been having! Today marks the 10th consecutive day of mostly clear skies and sunshine. We haven't had any rain in that period, but we have had some good heavy morning fogs to make up for it. Tomorrow (Thanksgiving Thursday) looks like it will be the last day of this system, and more typical (read: damper) PacNorWinter weather will be back tomorrow night. After all this dryness, I won't mind the rain as much!

I haven't brought my raingear along with me during this whole period, which any Northwestern bicyclist can tell you is pretty unusual for the wintertime. We're scared to go out between October and April without some kind of wet-weather protection. Some days it's easy to tell if you are going to need it, but there are plenty of "mostly cloudy" days that don't always speak "I'm going to rain at some point." Those are the days that get you. You look out the window, think it's nice enough, it ain't gonna rain today. No need to shlep along that bulky obnoxious rain gear in your bag if you're not going to need it! Then you start pedalling towards downtown and see that wave o' mist descend over the hills. And whammo! You're wet! (I know this all from experience.)

So pull out that raingear, we're going to need it soon! Winter is back.