Seasonal Shifts

Cumulonimbus clouds. They were everywhere today. This signifies severe instability in the atmosphere. It also heralds the arrival of Spring (var, in Swedish, with a circle over the "a") here in Goteborg as far as I'm concerned. Having looked at intermittent banks of flat gray clouds for the past 2 months, I am excited (as ever a weather geek can be) to see these new puffy shapes. Change is in the air. And so was hail. Hail! Pea-sized. How exciting.

How else can I tell that Spring is imminent? Well, for the past week or so, all the restaurants, bars, and cafes in the city have set up their outdoor seating areas. While some have set up semi-permanent [enclosed steel] structures, others simply roped off a few tables out into the sidewalk; they all take this very seriously. I'm waiting to see if the 7-Eleven stores have an outdoor space. It wouldn't surprised me. Oh, I plan on being there in the thick of it. I do. When the weather actually warms up. Which should be when the next season (which is supposed to be Summer) rolls around. Okay, I kid, I kid. It has been warm-ish of late.

Side Note: After we both arrived in February, TJ and I noticed people sitting outside at a few cafes and restaurants. It was barely above freezing. Most establishments provided blankets for their customers. Still, this seems indicative of a hearty populace.

Store displays started advertising Spring back in February. The color for Spring 2008 in Goteborg is a pale green. It's a tasteful green. Not too pastel. Certainly not too Kelly green. The landscape is starting to turn green as well. Cherry trees have blossomed. Other deciduous trees are beginning to bud. Soon, very soon.

And with the change in seasons is the change in daylight. It's on the increase. Daylights Saving Time (yes, they do have it in Europe) just switched on 2 weeks ago. We are closing in on 14 hours of daylight. Currently, the sun sets at 8pm and there is twilight until 9:15pm. The sun not only is appearing longer, but it is also on the move northward. Exhibit A below illustrates this point.

The photo on the right is from my first post and was taken in mid-March. Notice where the sun is setting. The photo on the right was taken yesterday. I have marked on this photo where the sun set last month with a red arrow. That is a big gap. We were worried that the beautiful sunsets we have been experiencing were going to be obscured by the hotel - behind which the sun currently is setting. Now, we realize that will not be a problem. Because by the time June 20th rolls around, sunset on the horizon will be visible again. Just much farther North. By that time there will be close to 19 hours of daylight. Twilight should last until midnight...or later. If you are coming for a visit this Summer, be sure to bring a sleep mask. If you don't have one, you may have to make do with what we have available....