The Cyclical Weathered Social Calendar

It's hard to classify seasons in San Francisco, because the the weather here is pretty off from the rest of the state (and country). I'm not sure what the exact scientific reason is, but I think it has something to do with being wedged between the Bay and the Pacific Ocean. I think it goes something like this:

Winter: Mid December to Late February
Spring: March
Summer #1: April to early June
Fall: June to mid-August
Summer #2: September through November

I'm from New York, so I didn't think winter here would be too bad. And it doesn't even snow, so how bad can it get, right? WRONG. One February, our heating bill was $610. No joke. Well, that's also because this girl that was subletting from us left her window open with the heater on for like a week. Now are heating bills don't really go past $250. But we live in a big house, with two heaters, so it's impossible to get the entire house warmed up. And our house is definitely colder than the outside! It's all about layering in this city.

Spring here sort of comes and goes in the month of March. I would define spring as when you can stop worrying about bringing a jacket to work, and you can throw on a thin scarf or vest instead. The sun starts to come out, the days get longer, and life is just more pleasant. And the air smells different! Somehow cleaner. Spring reminds me of softball, and boozing during the day, and dusk in the park.

But before you know it, Summer #1 is here! That means April flowers, trips to the beach, Memorial Day, Bay to Breakers, all the fun stuff! You find excuses to take an hour and a half lunch just so you can be outside for longer. AND, you don't even need to bring a coat out at night!

Unfortunately, what should be summer everywhere else in the country is pretty gross in SF and a lot more like the fall. A friend once rhymed, "June is gloom, July's a lie, and August is the foggiest." And that's pretty much how it goes. I feel bad when people come to visit during the summer and they pack all these shorts and tank tops, only to realize they should be wearing jeans, boots, and a Northface. Summer is definitely a time to escape the city and get some sun from all the other gorgeous spots in NoCal (or elsewhere).

Fortunately, summer comes back for round 2 at the end of August! I consider September and October to be the coupling months. The weather is still nice so you can wear cute clothes when you go out, and people are out and about doing things because they know they are about to hunker down in their apartment for the depths of winter (though, most would fare better hunkering down somewhere that heat is already paid for). It's also common to couple up with someone right before winter, that way you have an extra warm body in your bed. But by the time winter is over and spring rolls back in, the relationship loses it's initial value and you find yourself eager to get out and hit the single life!

And that, my friends, is the basis of the cyclical weathered social calendar.