This is a hot topic now more than ever. Climate change! After a summer of fire, literally, with many hundreds of fires in the Mediterranean and very high temperatures all over Europe, it is now wintertime.
According to the calendar and I can confirm from my lifelong observations, at least in the part of Europe where I live, i.e. in the East, winter started in December and ended in early March. With a few small deviations from time to time.
Now everything has changed, I've been noticing this for about ten years...
Searching through some older photos I found a few from the last worst winter I can remember. Luckily the photos preserve the information and that's how I found out they were taken on January 11, 2017. The last heavy winter in Bucharest, Romania that I remember.
The park next to the house, early enough in the morning that the driveways don't get cleared of snow. If I remember correctly, all this snow was only deposited after a night of snow. My wife loves winter the most and immediately wanted to take a walk.
The pigeons living in the park were also taken by surprise. Not a pleasant surprise for them.
I look at these images and can't believe they were real.
The trunks of the trees look frozen, like creatures that have frozen to their feet and can no longer move.
The street, all the streets in the neighborhood, were buried in snow. Cars parked the same way. There was some movement until I was able to get the snow off the gate and off the car.
This happened in December 2017. In the following years, there was less and less snow, and this year it still hasn't snowed in Bucharest. It has snowed in the north of the country, it has snowed in mountainous areas, at altitude, but not yet in Bucharest.
The last photo was taken on January 28, 2022, in Herastrau Park in Bucharest.
This is my entry for the #monomad challenge
I think your posts and the great photos really highlights that the weather patterns are changing and yet so many seem to have blinkers on and not see what is right in front of them and deny there is any climate change
We are experiencing something similar here in Nigeria. usually, we have the harmattan period around December, now it comes late in January. One cannot predict the times and seasons as accurately as we once used to.
A lot of people talk about that in France as well, that they used to get snow quite often in the winter when they were kids but now rarely ever see it at all. It's crazy how things really seem to be accelerating these past few years too. Wild heat in the summer and crazy natural disasters.
On a more positive note - excellent photos!
Things are certainly not the same and for us here in England the last proper snow are has was in 2018. I can recall helping people along our road who were getting stuck as their cars couldn’t cope and we started making hot drinks for them.
We saw snow last year but it lasted 5 minutes.
Going back further in time much like yourselves we used to have snow pretty much every winter at some point.
Muy impresionantes imágenes, la nieve, los pájaros tratando de protegerse. Muy hermosas fotografías @bluemoon.
When it snows heavily doesn't the cold get a little too extreme? And when it covers up places isn't that stressful to get it out of the way and all the plowing problem? Do people still miss the winters of yesteryears even with all these advantages? Why?
This is exactly how I feel, Dan! It is funny though. Last year, we had Spring starting in February! Today it was 17C and it was lovely... Wait! It is the beginning of February! I love a good snow, but, we have had dust.
I remember it snowed 24 inches a few years back. What happened?
Bucharest used to have real winter. I can remember all of Europe did and now, not so much. The wind of time, shifting everything. Feels weird.
I love your shots and I am glad you took them, although you probably had no idea that would be the last real snow for a while. Didn't you and Magda walk to a protest (or gathering of people) one night during that time or perhaps earlier? I remember the weather was not kind, but, off you went! :)
Surely everything is relative now, we have to get used to changes and surprises. It's nice too, we won't get bored. I see so many people getting bored and I can't believe it, I wish I had their time that they don't need...
You remember somewhat well, I went to a protest when it was raining and it was night, but not winter.
I am anxious to undo the protection I put on the Mediterranean plants but I fear a winter surprise in March, it has happened before.