Rain, Rain, (Don’t) Go Away: Best things about life in the rain

Emily Bi/Staff

Fine, we’ll say it, rain is inconvenient. For the first time in your life, you didn’t snooze your alarm, and you went to your 8 a.m. — and you know what you get? Soaking wet, that’s what! Soaking wet with a side of aggravated and irritated to start off your day. But we here at the Clog consider ourselves optimists, glass-half-full-type humans. So, we looked on the bright side (maybe the wrong choice of words … cloudy side?) to see all of the positive things we could find about life in the rain!

1. The grass is greener on the other side (of the downpour). And when campus is greener, campus is prettier, and well, now is the time of year potential Bears come in swaths for campus visits to decide between Cal and UCLA — we’re just saying.

2. It gives you the perfect chance to have faith in humanity by leaving your umbrella in the hall of Wheeler while you go to class. Hopefully, you have a lot of faith, Godspeed.

3. It’s good for the environment and necessary for life on Earth! You can’t really argue around the importance of this one unless you’re proposing life on Mars … because if so, we are not, not down!

4. You have the perfect chance to wear your rain attire! Just an FYI for all the Southern California novices out there: It has been brought to our attention that there is apparently a difference between rain boots and snow boots. Save yourself from being roasted before it’s too late.

5. Swipe your “I can’t come out card — I don’t want to catch a cold” tonight when your friends try to drag you out of the house. Can they really blame you for trying to avoid being the annoying chronic sniffler that everyone hates in class?

6. You will probably be more productive, and it is midterm season after all. Sure, that’s because you don’t really want to be outside, but let’s not sweat over the small details.

7. For all of you dramatic Bears out there (yes, you!), kissing in the rain “The Notebook”-style becomes a real possibility. On a more practical note, be sure to at least wear your jacket so you don’t catch a cold!

8. Cue the music because the sun’ll come out tomorrow, and then just maybe, we’ll get to see a rainbow, and who doesn’t love a good rainbow? A cynic, that’s who!

So, turn that frown upside down, Bears, and learn to dance in the rain, because according to the weather forecasts we’re stuck with her!

Contact McKenna Hathaway at mhathaway@dailycal.org.

The Daily Californian

How to dress when it’s hot: Tips on fabric, color, fit and accessories

Holly Secon/File

The temperature change from spring to summer is drastic, so it feels like an updated wardrobe is needed. But dressing for hot weather can be difficult, and the last thing you want to be dripping in is sweat. Here are some tips to help you achieve a stylish look while keeping cool. 

Choose the right fabrics.

You want to look for breathable fabrics that will help circulate the air around you and reduce body odor. To test its breathability, hold the clothing item up to a light — if it’s somewhat see-through, that’s a good sign. Cotton, rayon and linen are popular options. Avoid fabrics like polyester, nylon and silk, which may look nice but will cling to your body and heat you up. Although jeans look nice, they’re a no-go, because thick denim will make you feel extremely hot.

Wear lighter colors.

Your best bet for staying cool is to wear light colors that absorb less heat than dark colors. Brighter, more vivid colors are not only fashionable, but they will reflect the sunlight and keep you (close to) sweat-free. A subtle pastel color looks calm, reflects the happiness of summer and also keeps you cooler. In general, any color on the lighter end of the color spectrum will treat you well. 

Find the right fit.

Skintight clothes can become sticky and uncomfortable in hot weather, so opt for flowy and loose instead. T-shirts and dresses are perfect for just that. The less fabric clinging to your skin, the freer you will feel. A long skirt with room to twirl will do you more good than a tight one. 

Accessorize.

To spice up your ultra heat-conscious outfit, a few accessories may be what you’re looking for to stay stylish. Sunglasses and straw hats protect you from the sun and can also make your outfit look snatched. 

With these tips, we hope you feel comfortable and fresh. Something as simple as changing the fabrics or colors you typically go for can prevent embarrassing sweat stains. Share these tips with your friends and family to help them survive the heat in style, too! 

Contact Vicky Bai at vbai@dailycal.org.

The Daily Californian

An open letter to Berkeley’s inconsistent weather

Chi Park/File

Dear Berkeley weather,

It would be nice if you were more consistent. One week it’s hot and the next it’s cold and raining. If someone doesn’t check a weather app or site, it can be difficult for them to guess what they’ll need to bring with them to campus. How are students supposed to dress properly if you’re not a little more consistent? That’s not to say that you don’t do an excellent job most of the time. There are consistent periods of sunny days that are a little warm with an occasional cool breeze. It would just be nice if you were like that for most of the year.

But sometimes you overdo it with the sunny days. Just last week, there was a little too much sun and not enough cool breeze. Berkeley is close to the bay, so why not give us some ocean breeze to cool things down a little? It’s a bit weird that the hottest days of the summer happen during the fall semester. At least on those days it’s obvious that it’s going to be a hot day from early on in the morning, which is a good indication to bring a water bottle or at least to drink water throughout the day.

If you do decide to be more consistent, cold and rainy days don’t count. Yes, students will know to bring an umbrella and raincoat, but it’s dreary day after day. Rain for those who like that sort of weather, but also let the sun shine once in a while. If you have to rain during the winter, at least do it at night when people are going to sleep — you’ll give students some white noise to drift off to.

Consistently cold days can also be nice in moderation. It’s nice to feel the bite of winter for a few days, but a few months is pushing it. If you’re going to be cold, just be cold. It would be nice, though, if you didn’t make the nights freezing, as some people came to Berkeley to escape real winter.

You can be really great, Berkeley weather. This year alone you’ve made some comfortable, warm and sunny days during the spring and summer. You’ll probably make some delightfully cool days in October and November as fall rolls around. You don’t have to make things really hot or really cold. Perfect weather is already in your repertoire.

Peace and love,

The Clog

Contact Zachariah Nash at znash@dailycal.org .

The Daily Californian

How to have fun during foggy days

flickr/Creative Commons

Sunny days scream positive vibes. Cloudy days are just depressing but become refreshing when it rains. Snowy days are cozy, until the snow intensifies into a blizzard, becoming chaotic and anxious. And then there are foggy days. Foggy days are, simply put, eerie. The eeriness of fog comes from the mystery of not knowing what’s around you. From a high vantage point, the city disappears, replaced by a layer of blankness, with no indication of any life besides what can be assumed from people driving into and out of the blankness and the occasional bright blinking light from tall buildings. What better way to take advantage of this mysterious weather than by doing fun stuff inside of it?

Play hide-and-seek

Foggy conditions are the best conditions for hide-and-seek. Hiding is infinitely easier since seekers have minimized vision and therefore must depend on their other senses, such as smelling and hearing. As a result, seeking becomes much more skill-oriented and less luck-based. These two conditions can combine together to create the ideal game environment. The massive area the fog covers also contributes to the size of the game. The larger the area that the fog covers, the larger the game of hide-and-seek can be. Imagine a game of hide-and-seek all around campus. It would be legendary and would utilize the fog to near-maximum capabilities.

Pretend there is a zombie apocalypse

Another great way to use the fog would be by pretending we are in a zombie apocalypse. From afar, the fog represents the mist that frequently surrounds areas infested with zombies, seemingly giving birth to these undead creatures. A great prank to play on anybody would be pretending to walk around like a zombie. This would work especially well on Halloween, but it is a very conditional activity.

Let it count as your shower

For some of us, showers can be tough to add to our schedule. For the rest of us humans, they are immovable and must be taken every day. Fog really is, however, just condensed water vapor, so in dire times, one could do their work and take a shower at the same time. After a long arduous day of coding, the walk back home from Soda Hall could also serve as shower time, so that no time is wasted on showering once back home.

Get the creative juices flowing

The mystery of foggy weather can really get to the brain and throw people into wild dilemmas. After all, Victorian stories mostly take place during foggy weather. Therefore, fog is ideal for letting loose some of that creative spirit inside every UC Berkeley student. Lounging on a field, spilling thoughts on to paper and reliving life as a Victorian-era novelist are all heightened experiences when there is fog around.

Fog may make the weather chillier and scarier at night, but by no means does that make fog bad. The possibilities are endless, and the memories are long-lasting when it comes to chilling in the fog. So enjoy it while it lasts.

Contact Hamzah Alam at halam@dailycal.org.

The Daily Californian

Expectations vs. reality: NorCal weather

Sam Albillo/File

California, the land of palm trees and sun, or so I thought at least. Coming from Asia, I had this impression that the whole of California was basically like Los Angeles. Alas, this wasn’t true. Flying over to the Bay Area, all I found was gray fog and a cold that clings to you even when you finally get indoors. Needless to say, disappointed was an understatement to describe how I felt when my flight landed in August 2018.

My first day in San Francisco, and I’d expected a warm summer breeze with a hint of eucalyptus in the air. Instead, there was a biting chilly wind and dampness that immediately started clinging to the air. I thought it was because I’d landed really early in the morning, so I brushed it off.

My first semester, my excited and innocent freshman self had signed up for classes starting 8 a.m. every day. I thought it would make me more productive, I guess. While the classes themselves were fine, the worst part of it was leaving my warm bed in the morning to get up, shower and brave the nonsensically cold East Bay wind on my walk to class. In fact, I definitely made the choice to just stay in bed some days, choosing warmth over the cold.

Now, having been here for a year, I suppose I’ve gotten used to the weather a little. On some days, I can even appreciate the cold giving me excuses to chug hot chocolate all day and snuggle up under my blankets. Sure, sometimes the weather is variable, and the clouds can’t decide when it is time to rain and when we’re allowed a bit of sun. Carrying an umbrella around is now second nature, and I know now to just be prepared for every situation, instead of relying on the weather forecast.

The one thing I can say for sure is that Berkeley has taught me to expect anything when it comes to the weather and UC Berkeley in general. Even if I’m freezing because Berkeley can be like an arctic tundra in the morning, I know that I need to layer because it’s going to be much warmer in a matter of hours. While I can’t say that I expected to be learning how to prepare for the weather when I came to university, having come from a place with a fairly monotonous and predictable climate, there’s something to be said for how Berkeley literally prepares you for everything.

Sure, I came here expecting warm days of basking in the sun, and instead I get to wake up to a lot of fog and more cold than I’m used to, but it’s not all bad. The weather means I have an excuse to stay in bed as much as I want and be cozy under my blankets with my warm beverages.

Contact Chandini Dialani at cdialani@dailycal.org.

The Daily Californian

An international student’s reality vs. expectations of CA

Amanda Burke/File

As an international student who first stepped foot into California less than four months ago, I was pleasantly surprised about all things “Californian” — from the lingo to the weather — that I just hadn’t expected. Having visited the United States only twice before, and as a hardcore Hollywood movie and American television buff, I was certain that I already knew everything there was to know. Boy, was I wrong! Here are a few things I’ve learned and a couple that have left me stumped!

California slang

A Californian’s lexicon is truly one of a kind. I’m learning new slang words even today. Back in July, I’d have blinked at words such as “SoCal.” It seems wild to an outsider that Californians have managed to shorten Southern California to “SoCal” and Northern California to “NorCal”! Even more absurd is calling mandarin oranges “Cuties.” It was only after a quick Google search that I realized the California-based company called Cuties has become ubiquitous with its product: mandarin oranges. And on the other end, I learned that saying “Cali” while actually in California is highly frowned upon.

Weather

Back in April when my college decisions had all come in, my dad was rooting for UC Berkeley. It wasn’t the title of the “No. 1 Public University”’ that charmed him, it was the California weather. The prospect of warm weather and no snow during the winter enticed me; I didn’t carry a lot of heavy winter gear. But the weather as of this past week makes me wish I’d brought my beanies and boots from home. After numerous poor clothing choices earlier on in the semester, I’ve learned to check the temperature each day before leaving my dorm to prepare for Berkeley’s fluctuating weather.

Boba culture

Before joining the official UC Berkeley class of 2023 Facebook group, I’d never heard of boba. Seeing the word “boba” pop up in everyone’s introductions in the group piqued my curiosity. Bubble tea was nonexistent in Oman where I lived, as well as in India, where I’m originally from. Surprisingly, there didn’t seem to be much hullabaloo about boba when I visited the East Coast last year. But here in California, it’s common to have more than three boba shops on the same block!

Where are all the avocados?

Having heard all about California’s abundant avocado stock, and avocados being one of my favorite fruits, I was hoping to find avocados at regular prices as opposed to the “special” status they’re given everywhere else. Unfortunately for me, this doesn’t seem to be the case — avocados have maintained their crème de la crème image here too.

So there you have it! These were some of my expectations versus reality moments after arriving in Berkeley. And here’s to hoping for many more enlightening lessons about California in the future! 

Contact Nandita Radhakrishnan at nradhakrishnan@dailycal.org.

The Daily Californian

A drive down Oregon’s northern coast

Emily Denny/Staff

Something bright peaked out from beneath the thick layer of clouds above my car — something I hadn’t seen for weeks, something overwhelmingly bright. I pulled over the car alongside the empty, cliff-side highway. Waves 100 feet below crashed against the rocks while two seagulls cried, playing a game of tag in front of me. 

It was the sun, in January, in Oregon — a warmth I hadn’t felt for weeks on this Pacific Northwest coast. For just those few minutes on the side of the road, the sun had fought its way through the messy winter fog. 

I wasn’t the only one with the same idea to pull over the car. As I stood off the highway, facing the sun and attempting to soak in as much sunlight as I could, other cars parked next to mine. 

Together, my fellow highway drivers and I stood like cormorants in silence facing the sun, attempting to eliminate the damp chill that had spread throughout our bones for the past few chilly and brutally wet winter weeks. But just as fast it came, the sun disappeared, and the fog all too soon took over, darkening the Pacific waves below and welcoming back the cool gray and salty breeze. Hopping into my car, I returned back to the 101. 

Sunny moments like these are rare along the Oregon coast, but they make me appreciate the sun more than I would normally. 

I had spent the beginning of the new year on the northern half of the Oregon coast, dedicating more than half of my days to its sandy beaches, regardless of the unreliable weather. And ever since the new year, a majority of these days were rainy ones, welcoming the sun only momentarily on a few lucky days. 

Hiking along Cannon Beach

Cannon Beach was one of my first stops as I drove south down the coastline. Easily one of Oregon’s more popular destinations, the small town rests along a soft, sandy beach, which points toward the picturesque Haystack Rock. Rising 235 feet above the shore during high tide, the rock hosts a unique ecosystem, home to tidepools and unique birdlife, like the tufted puffin. 

Although it was the wrong season to view the nesting puffins, Haystack Rock was undoubtedly an impressive landmark, making the small town next to it popular as well. I found the reflection of the rock against the glossy sand even more impressive. As the tide slowly backed away, the reflection grew with the lowering sun, stretching longer and wider across the beach. 

A pit stop in Manzanita

Following the 101 south, I was met with multiple small beach towns past Cannon Beach, many of which provide easy beach access. When approaching Manzanita, the highway winds its way down a cliff, completely covered in dense forest. As I came off the cliff, and into town, I was met with small shops, restaurants and the sandy coastline. Manzanita is home to an endless amount of outdoor recreation, such as hiking the nearby Neahkahnie Mountain or birding. Not having too much time, I resorted to taking a small walk along the beach. 

Small homes line the way, as fellow beachgoers walk along the crashing waves and dogs run back and forth, chasing the sandpipers. Manzanita, like many of Oregon’s coastal towns, offers an ideal escape for people looking to avoid crowded beach spots, but for those who also enjoy the forest to sea views, as well as local restaurants and boutique shopping. 

Creameries and fermentation

About another 40 minutes down the 101 is Tillamook, Ore., home to one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Pacific Northwest, the Tillamook Creamery, which was established in 1909. When walking toward the creamery, a massive cow face towering above the creamery’s main entrance greets you — almost intimidating visitors into eating entirely too many dairy products once inside. I later learned that the cow was named Flower and that it was Tillamook’s token and award-winning cow. 

A self-guided tour takes visitors of the creamery along the cheese-making process. The day I went, the creamery was highlighting the cheddar-making. As I followed the interpretive signs, I watched as employees constantly checked the temperatures of metal canisters and followed as they busily shuffled heavy blocks of cheese on and off of conveyor belts. Downstairs, the creamery has endless options for sampling its products in the forms of macaroni, pizza, soup and every ice cream flavor possible. 

Farther downtown is de Garde Brewing, a unique brewery that ferments its beer from natural Tillamook yeast and microflora. Inside the taproom, customers sip on a radical set list of beers, many of which include notes of fresh fruits and winter spices. 

That night, a sudden thunder and lightning storm hit the coast. As I drove through the forest and along seaside cliffs, heavy rain blurred the dark views of the coast. Every few moments, flashes of lightning lit up the landscape around me, highlighting the dark waves to my right and the rolling mountain hills to my left. At this point, I knew I couldn’t depend on any form of consistency in the coastal weather, but as I drove farther south, watching the sky brighten and darken instantly, I couldn’t help but enjoy the inconsistency of the weather. Throughout my day, the Oregon coast may have been constantly changing depending on the weather, but it was also a region that is celebrated for its cuisines based in its natural elements, grounded by its constant coastline and appreciated for its endless cliffside views — rain or shine.

Contact Emily Denny at edenny@dailycal.org .

The Daily Californian

Reflections on a warm February

Sunny Shen/File

The other day, when I woke up, I was sweating because it was so warm in my room. And it’s not even because my room gets that warm or has a window that faces the rising sun. It’s because it was February, and I had gone to bed in fluffy pajama pants out of spite of climate change. 

I actually really like how warm it’s been. I’m kind of sick of all my sweaters and pants. All of my warm winter clothes feel so lumpy and scratchy, and sweaters take up so much space in the laundry machine. And the feeling of the sun on my skin always makes me feel a little calmer. 

But February was not supposed to be this warm. Wearing fluffy pajama pants is one of the ways I can show my anger, but I think I’m only hurting myself here.

Recently, I read an article about climate change, and it made me realize how long it’s been since I’ve read any articles about climate change. I think, in my mind, it’s been dwarfed by other important social justice issues. Or maybe it’s just been dwarfed by midterms, which speaks to what students are forced to really care about. 

Even though the sun makes me feel calm, it’s a bit of a superficial sense of relaxation, really. If anything, the sun being this strong in February should make me panic. Impending doom and all that — climate change. The way I reflect on this fact might seem sarcastic, but it’s really just because acting too serious about it makes me feel even more scared. 

I think as soon as summer rolls around, I’m already going to be tired of the nice weather. There’s something special about waking up, expecting your toes to be tiny ice cubes but instead seeing the sun streaming in the window. In a way, the best part about a warm February is just how unexpected it is. 

Maybe I should be guiltier. There are people absolutely freezing or without power in other parts of the world right now, and I’m sitting in the grass in a tank top and shorts, complaining about how someday I’ll feel the negative effects of climate change, too. 

Has anyone else wondered if they’re going to get a mask tan on their face? This is a very vapid concern, but I can’t help but think that I’m going to end up with a row of freckles exactly where my mask ends. It’s like the world isn’t quite ready for us to be going outside yet. Maybe a weird mask tan is the punishment I get for reveling in a warm February. 

When I was walking around today I noticed how windy it was. I only noticed because my hair kept getting in my mouth, but it got me thinking about fire season. And the fact that the term “fire season” means something to me now. Only a couple of years ago, I wouldn’t have really known what that meant. 

The scariest part about warm February is that it makes you feel like you’re too late. Like, even if I keep reposting infographics about fossil fuels on my Instagram story, what difference is that going to make? Even if I could go talk to the president today, what difference would that make? I mean, come on, even if the world stopped all of its fossil fuel use today, how much would that really do? And that idea is pretty much too fanatical to even consider. 

Sometimes I think about the fact that I’m basically majoring in climate change — OK, not really, but sometimes it feels that way — and I get a little hopeless. Will my major even matter in 50 years? 20 years? 10 years? I mean yes, probably. But it will look radically different. One time, before school went online, my professor took the class outside for lecture. It was funny because it was like a 50 person class, and we were all huddled on the grass with our laptops and backpacks. But when it’s a nice day out, why force yourself to stay inside? 

I’m actually not taking a class about climate change this semester. It just got to be too much. Some students probably cry in their classes when the content is too confusing or difficult or they have a midterm coming up. I cry in my classes because it gets really sad.

But a great remedy for sadness is to just get outside. Maybe take a walk. It honestly helps me a lot. Maybe that’s the reason I’ve been spending so much time outside in the sunshine in February. I’m just making the most of it. We’re all just making the most of it.

Contact Elysa Dombro at edombro@dailycal.org.

The Daily Californian

Dear summer heat

Caragh McErlean/File

Dear summer heat,

Summer in Berkeley feels very different from summer in the Central Valley. On Berkeley summer mornings, the sun gently rises, and you can see the cool morning mist trickle down from the mountains behind campus. A small chill in the air makes you want to curl up on the sofa and enjoy the morning. In the Central Valley, mornings are abrupt and loud, the heat wraps around your body like a blanket, and the air is hot. The valley mornings make you want to fall back asleep in a pool of ice and float away. Being away from the valley for the first summer in 15 years has me thinking about what I miss about the summer heat. But here’s the catch — I don’t really miss too much about it.

I do not miss the way you can see the heat come off the street in waves or how it leaves your hair hot to the touch. I do not miss how the sun turns the baseball fields so hot that it burns your cleated feet. I do not miss the sunburns, nor the way you can smell the heat on your clothes after a day outside. I do not miss the way the sun turns a park slide into a great enemy. I do not miss the days when I was haunted by the headache of a coming heatstroke or the way the weather makes doing the simplest of things hot and sweaty. No, I do not miss you, summer heat. 

Although the Central Valley sun is responsible for many headaches and a future of possible melanoma, there are some things that the heat does make special. Central Valley heat makes lemonade taste better and fruits much sweeter. I miss the laughter of children piling into the pool or running under the sprinklers. I miss the way the summer sun says goodbye in its portrait of oranges and pinks that painted the horizon. I miss the summer nights, with a heat that keeps the grasshoppers chirping and the stars shining. Maybe I do miss parts of you, summer heat. 

Maybe. 

In truth, regardless of how much I despise the summer heat, I couldn’t live my life without it. I suppose now, as I get older, I find the sun a bit too hot and the cooler mountains a bit more welcoming. No matter how far I go, you will always be a part of me, dear summer heat.

Contact Isabella Carreno at icarreno@dailycal.org.

The Daily Californian

A friend of fair weather

Earlier this week, my parents told me they experienced 93-degree weather and hazelnut-sized hail — both at the same time. They sent me a picture of the hail pieces: oddly round, milky chunks of ice, already melting from the intense heat of the day. 

It seemed like such an odd combination, disconcerting in the way that a sunny rainstorm just doesn’t make sense. Hail on its own is a rare occurrence — in Central Oregon at least — but this only makes it all the more memorable when it suddenly appears.

I remember spending time at a friend’s house one middle school summer afternoon when a sudden hailstorm pummeled the earth with what looked like thousands of tiny white pellets. I distinctly remember us racing outside to meet the storm, screaming and laughing and running through the thick but relatively harmless sheets of falling ice. We relished the way the tiny balls of ice stung our skin and watched them melt within seconds upon contact with the warm asphalt. 

Although my memories associated with hail are positive and lighthearted — quite reflective of the relatively light and inconsequential hail I’ve experienced — it’s undeniable that more extreme hailstorms can cause extensive destruction. They can break windows, damage houses and pummel cars in mere seconds. The immense and transient power of weather events, while sometimes delightful and exciting, can also be a terrifying reminder of the force and unpredictability of nature. 

But while the weather is not subject to human control, that doesn’t stop us, myself included, from wanting the weather to behave a certain way and meet our expectations. 

For example, the Deschutes County Fairgrounds are, in my mind, the only place where it is acceptable and necessary for temperatures to be exceedingly hot. Although I generally enjoy feeling cold, a county fair is not the place for cool weather. I want to crave the sickly sweet and tart, but gloriously icy fairground lemonade and sit in the shade of the canvas tents offered to fairgoers. It just isn’t the county fair if it isn’t overwhelmingly hot.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, rain always makes me feel melancholy, but in an oddly satisfying way. I love to stand outside to smell the sagebrush around my house right after it rains, and just the thought of the smell of a rainy day in Bend, Oregon puts me at ease.

But if weather is so powerful in shaping our physical and emotional landscapes, why, then, is it often so deeply overlooked? 

In everyday conversation, weather is the mundane topic you resort to when there is nothing else to say. In reality, though, the weather is anything but mundane! It is this ambient, often intangible, but deeply impactful force that sets the stage for all human-nature interactions.

The way I dress, the foods that are grown and that I am able to eat, the way I feel when I look or go outside — it’s all influenced by weather. 

Even thinking about where I currently live in the Bay Area, I have grown accustomed to 70-degree temperatures and crisp mornings that remind me of the ones I’ve experienced during camping trips, as though the chilly air is just a tent flap away from me. Here, the seasons go by almost unnoticed, as most days fluctuate within a narrow temperature window, with fog and clouds nearly year-round. 

In contrast, my parents have grown accustomed to temperatures in the 90s, dry soil that requires intensive irrigation if anything is to grow and gnarled juniper tree roots that siphon off most of the nearby water in the ground. There, winter and summer are often separated by 40 or 50 degrees and mild spring and fall seasons. 

I have acclimatized to the Bay Area and recalibrated my sense of “normal” weather to what I know to be the norm here in the East Bay. But I have done all of this unconsciously. All I notice are the change in conditions, the startling jolts to my system and what seems to be unnatural. 

Thinking about our perception of weather reminds me of something I learned in middle school science class. We learned that heat only flows between objects when they are objects of two different temperatures. If the two objects rest at the same starting temperature — no matter how hot or cold that starting temperature is — no heat is transferred. Only when the two objects are at different temperatures does the hotter object “respond” by transferring kinetic energy, or heat, to the cooler object. 

Similarly, we only acknowledge the weather and respond to it when we aren’t used to the conditions we’re in. It’s only when we are exposed to immense changes or extremes in our outside environments that we really notice the power of weather. 

When we are instead inundated with roughly the same weather conditions each day — and for some of us, when the seasons blend together and conditions change in practically unnoticeable increments — we lose sight of the might of nature, especially as our world becomes increasingly manmade. Normalcy gets taken for granted, and weather, the engineer of our interface with nature, goes virtually unacknowledged. 

Lia Keener writes the Thursday column on the relationship between humans and the natural world. Contact the opinion desk at opinion@dailycal.org or follow us on Twitter @dailycalopinion.

The Daily Californian