Snow storm in the City of Eternal Spring

[abcdefg]

We have had snow and ice the last two days here in the so called City of Eternal Spring. Didn't do any permanent damage, but temporarily shut the airport and snarled traffic on some streets.

 

In all fairness, snow is unusual here. This storm dropped the most of any winter storm in the last 10 years. And today the sky is blue and the sun is strong.

 

The airport is fairly new and seems unprepared for most foul weather contingencies. Looked like a real mess yesterday on local TV.

 

http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2013-12-17/115229006593.shtml

 

 

[gato]

Hmm, climate change. Maybe it'll snow in HK someday.

[abcdefg]

I guess it might. Wonder if HKIA would be paralyzed by it.

 

http://opinion.hexun.com/2013-12-17/160642429.html

 

This new airport was built in a spot notorious for its dense morning fog. And now early flights are often cancelled because of low visibility. Not a great surprise.

[Guest realmayo]

Early 2000 I arrived late evening in Kunming after a day and a half on a train from a colder, wetter part of China and thought wow, it really is the 'eternal spring' city, I definitely made the right decision to visit. Woke up the next morning to heavy snow, couldn't leave the city for a couple of days.... On the upside, it felt like most people in the city had never seen so much snow before, they were having a great time.

[abcdefg]

That's the way it was yesterday, Realmayo. Kids were making snowmen and having playful snowball fights. The young ones had never seen snow before.

 

And it didn't have time to turn into gray slush. Today's bright sun melted it away and our famous "Springtime" weather is restored, albeit a little cold.

[Xiao Kui]

I remember that snow in KM back in 2000 realmayo.  It was lots of fun, but almost impossible to get the cab I took to a dept. store to get boots and gloves so I could enjoy it to the fullest!

[anonymoose]

I passed through Kunming when visiting Yunnan during the Chinese New Year in 2007. No snow, but I did wonder why the city had the reputation of eternal spring when it bloody well felt like winter to me.

 

I suspect that July and August are not exactly spring weather in Kunming either.

[Guest realmayo]

Ah, so you were there too Xiao Kui. 

That's the way it was yesterday, Realmayo. Kids were making snowmen and having playful snowball fights. The young ones had never seen snow before.

In 2000 snowmen and snowball fights were definitely not limited to just kids.

[abcdefg]

Summer is hot here, but it does cool down at night. All in all, Kunming's weather is pretty good, but of course not perfect.

 

The flip side of that is that since it never gets really extreme, homes are not built in such a way as to remain comfortable inside when it's not comfortable outside. Homes don't have heating or cooling, at least not old ones like mine.

 

I'm sitting here in my living room tonight in a sweater plus down jacket and hat and can see my breath in front of my face. Must remind myself that it will be better by early February and in late February we will have cherry blossoms.