An angry grey sheet of rain and blasts of cold winter air greeted me as I arrived at Hamilton earlier today. Despite the weather two weeks ago, when the warmth of the sun brought sundresses and shorts out of hiding, March never quite lives up to our expectations. Unfortunately, around here spring is usually late to the party and winter has overstayed its welcome. Upstate New York is known for its weather. After stating I go to Hamilton, often the first question asked is, “how do you deal with the cold?” It is this extremeness and unpredictable nature of upstate New York weather that fascinates outsiders. But it is also a source of pride for natives. In the end, why is it important? Why do we care so much about whether it rains or snows?
For one, weather is something we cannot and will never be able to control. Over the course of its history, the Adirondacks has had its fair share of extreme weather events. The Great Blowdown in November 1950 is one more famously known for it produced 105-mph winds, a byproduct of an Atlantic hurricane that caused catastrophic forest damage across the park. There was also the 1995 Derecho, which destroyed 65 homes and killed five hikers. According to Neal Burdick, a writer for the Adirondack Explorer, of the 13 storm tracks that affect the United States, “10 of them are capable of working their nastiness in one manner or another on the Adirondacks.” Jerome S. Thaler, a weather documentarian and historian mentions in his book called Adirondack Weather, that “a tornado can be expected once every five years somewhere in the park.” Since the arrival of people on this barren harsh landscape, weather has been friend and foe, but mostly just foe over the years.
Two, weather fascinates us. From the British, who use it as a greeting topic to the Adirondacker, who is shaped and molded by it, weather is a part of our culture and everyday lives. On the television or on your iphone, weather is another piece of daily news. We use it to start conversations and are fascinated by storms, extremes. For some, weather makes a place unique. Notorious to outsiders and natives, weather has given the park character and identity. From the crisp autumn colors to the bone-rattling snow-burying blizzards, weather has shaped our notions of the Adirondack landscape and its people to make them what they are today.
When studying the Adirondack Park it is important to be aware of weather’s effect on the culture and lives of the parks inhabitants. The NY weather is definitely unpredictable given the past winter we have had. I also think that weather is important in establishing the wilderness and beauty of the park because without the autumn leaves and winter frigidness, the park wouldn’t be the same. I wonder whether climate change and global warming will change the weather within the park.
ReplyDeleteMy dad has always raved about his memories of walking to class through falling leaves in the late months of the year, and angelic snowflakes in January through March. It seems to be one of the things he actually remembers most about college. That being said, I think weather is also something that brings us together! My dad and I have bonded over the beauty and stress of changing seasons, and it's not unlikely to start a conversation with an unfamiliar face about weather at Hamilton. Despite our complaints about cold and dreary days, weather plays an undeniable role in defining a place! Great post... I love that you address the varying ways that we consider and think about weather.
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