The first bout of winter this year, and the second bout this winter proper, is petering out in the Croatian capital. There was quite a bit of snow on January 24, but it lasted a day only. It was followed by thin but steady snow on January 28. On January 29 and 30 there was a tiny bit of thin snow only. It has been raining the last few days, and the rain has occasionally turned into ice on the ground. This is expected to continue until tomorrow, but the temperatures will be rising afterwards. Next week is forecast to be appreciably warmer. In sum, this bout of winter will have lasted about a week all told. This is how it was with the first bout in late November last year. By the end of the season, we may have one or two more bouts of winter, but no more. And they are likely to last for a few days only. Some winter. One has to be pretty meticulous to notice it at all. As for the next winter proper, one can already foresee fewer and shorter bouts of winter. In about a decade, though, we will be in need of new names for seasons.

Addendum (March 20, 2014)

Officially, today is the first day of spring. And the weather in Zagreb is exactly as one would expect it on this day. Except that it has been sunny and balmy for quite a while now. Surprises are always possible, but I would not expect the third bout of winter any longer. Even a day or two of snow are hard to imagine by now. So, this was a two-bout winter in the Croatian capital. And the bouts were on the short side—about a week each. Some winter, indeed. In the long run, it may be remembered as a pretty tough one…