My body really hates me right now, especially my sinuses. The knees are a bit creaky, I feel like my nose is on fire all the time.
Since the last weekend in February, I’ve been to 11 different states, from north to south. That number will hit 13 tomorrow when we wrap up a three-day college road trip with a visit to the University of New Hampshire.
In Pennsylvania, we are used to crazy weather this time of year. At the end of February, in one week here at home, we had twice temperatures in the 60s – including one day when it almost reached 70 – and one day with snow sandwiched between them. The joke that we can see three seasons in one day is no exaggeration.
This week ended with the first university trip to the north. It snowed on Saturday and temperatures peaked at 23 near the Rhode Island coast. The kid asked why we were visiting in February? The answer: So you know how it is here in February.
The day after I returned from Rhode Island, I drove a rental car in the opposite direction, south from Sunbury to Birmingham, Alabama, to compete in the Best of CNHI judging for a few days.
This trip took me from Pennsylvania, on Interstate 81 through Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee – where Interstate 81 changes to I-40 – Georgia and finally Alabama .
In Tennessee, the flowers and the trees were blooming. The strikingly beautiful white and pink flowers certainly catch your eye against the harsh background of browns and grays. In Alabama, it was like summer. There were golfers in shorts roaming the resort.
Oh and we lost an hour of sleep in there for DST coupled with an adjustment I never made to the hour change while hiking in the central time zone and back .
Back in Pennsylvania, I rode in snow. It was in the 20s and my body said enough was enough. Please sleep in your own bed and stay a while.
I felt dirty. Not sick, just blah.
Did you know that biometeorology exists? I had to search, but apparently, according to Weather Channel, “it’s a small but diverse field of atmospheric scientists who study how — and why — the weather affects animals, plants, and humans. That it From changing the symptoms of existing diseases, contributing to new conditions, and causing temporary physiological changes inside your body, the effect of weather conditions on your health is significant.
As you read about biometeorology, changes in air pressure can wreak havoc on sinuses, cause joint pain, and exacerbate your allergies.
Check. Check. And check.
There are other things in there that biometeorology impacts people, including blood pressure. It also examines the impact of climate on living things, agriculture, and a whole bunch of other things that seem complicated.
The good news is that I now know why I’ve been feeling crummy for the past few weeks. Better news, it’s people much smarter than me, studying things like atmospheric composition and phenology – thanks Google for breaking it down – tell me why.
Not that there’s any way around it when we’re “enjoying” three seasons in the span of a few hours, but at least we know what to look for.
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