I should say we were lucky to have a usual and moderate weather for the season in Austin, Texas when we landed on Sunday the 30th January. The weather, so to say was rather very pleasant and I was happy thinking that I could start my morning and evening walks to the park right away. But the weather gods seem to have had different plans. On the night of 31st it rained rather heavily with strong wind instantly bringing down the temperature. This year it seems the weather has been very erratic all over the world. If you live in Karnataka, India, you may remember this winter the temperatures at northern parts of the state, like Gulberga and Raichur, came down to near zero degrees. Raichur recorded the lowest at 6 degrees Celsius after a gap of nearly a century. These are the states where people die of sun strokes every summer! Torrential rains poured like hell in interior and coastal areas even in the last week of December. Now here in Texas, my daughter says it is not usual for Texas to experience the chill at 15 degrees F at this time of the year. Yes, it was 18 degrees during daytime and 15 during night (Around minus 4 degrees Celsius!) My daughter also says, she has not seen snow fall in this part of the country in more than the last ten years, ever since she came here seeking higher studies in 1999. Yes, snow fall is predicted tonight and tomorrow morning by the weatherman. Weather forecasts are pretty accurate here in America, unlike in India. I am eagerly waiting to see the snow fall here.
I have seen good snow falls in the North Eastern states during my last visit to America in 2008. But that was in the last week of December and very normal in Niagara, New York and Washington. It was a wonderful first experience then and I had written elaborately about it in my travelogues circulated among family and friends. Also at Washington, this time where we missed our next flight to Austin and took connecting flights via Chicago, there were snow fall at both the places. I had also seen ice storm in Austin during Chris mas that year. During my morning walk one fine day, I saw heaps of ice crystals of the size of sugar grains gathered by the sides of fences. This also, according to my daughter is common to Austin to fall once or twice a year during deep winter days. But snow fall in February surely is very unusual.
Texas, this time has greeted me with unusual things. Let me wait and see what else is in store for the next five months of my stay here, and sure this time I will put all my experiences in my blogs.
I have seen good snow falls in the North Eastern states during my last visit to America in 2008. But that was in the last week of December and very normal in Niagara, New York and Washington. It was a wonderful first experience then and I had written elaborately about it in my travelogues circulated among family and friends. Also at Washington, this time where we missed our next flight to Austin and took connecting flights via Chicago, there were snow fall at both the places. I had also seen ice storm in Austin during Chris mas that year. During my morning walk one fine day, I saw heaps of ice crystals of the size of sugar grains gathered by the sides of fences. This also, according to my daughter is common to Austin to fall once or twice a year during deep winter days. But snow fall in February surely is very unusual.
Texas, this time has greeted me with unusual things. Let me wait and see what else is in store for the next five months of my stay here, and sure this time I will put all my experiences in my blogs.
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