Today is the first truly cold day of the season. It’s 10 degrees outside! Brrr…. If you’re from Tri-Cities, you know how cold it gets in the winter. Many of us dread this time and escape to warmer places. Others like the weather (for some reason) and look forward to what it has to offer. I think it’s good to look at the positive side of things. There’s a good side to (almost) every situation, right? But we also can’t deny there are some cons to winter in this area. Well, let’s talk about some of the things you can expect when you spend a winter in Tri-Cities
Time Inside
It’s pretty hard to spend time outside when it’s windy, super cold, raining, or snowing. On a lucky day we get all 4; but it’s rare. Most of your time will be spent inside. Which is okay, we stay cozy! But you do have to get creative. For instance, I’ve rediscovered my love for puzzles and board games this winter as it’s a nice family activity to do during dark afternoons. I personally love the outdoors. Anything from hiking, taking walks, and just relaxing or reading a book under a tree (in the summer)
But winter is also the perfect time to organize coffee dates or a night in; you can watch a movie, have a wine night, or cooking date. Another reason most Washingtonians stay inside during the winter is that on the shortest days, it gets dark at 4:15pm so it feels like 10pm by the time 5 o’clock hits
Delayed or Cancelled Schedules
One of the things I liked the most about winter when I was in high school was delayed schedules. When it snows a lot, its likely that the city will need time to plow the roads. So, while they do this, the schools would change their schedules and we would start school 2 hrs. later than usual. This is to allow for the snow to be removed and lower the chance that a school bus full of kids will have a traffic accident
When you have a delayed schedule, it feels like you got a day to rest. It also happened once at work one year! And when the weather was bad, most of my clients cancelled or no-showed to our appointments. Those days were super chill and we used them to bond as co-workers
Winter Outfits
Okay, I don’t know if this is a plus for everyone but I think it is! You can’t tell me winter clothes aren’t the cutest and classiest. There’s just something about a trench coat…
I’ve noticed you have to have 2 (or more) wardrobes if you live in Tri-Cities. I store my summer clothes during the winter, and put them back in my closet during the cold months. I remember I used to be able to wear my clothes year round in California. That was nice. But, I do like change though. Here, in Washington, the key is to layer up. I wear thick leggings under my pants, 2 long sleeves, my coat, and boots if I know I’ll be spending anytime outside
Snow, snow, snow…
Like everything else on the list; a pro and a con. I’m not gonna lie. When you wake up to snow outside, it just feels so peaceful and quiet. Maybe because no one wants to be outside jajaja! But it can be dangerous to drive… That’s what I dread the most. When I lived in Seattle and drove to Tri-Cities to spend Christmas with my family, I always dreaded the drive. There’s always many more accidents when we have snow and people who think they are immune to the weather conditions…
It FEELS like the holidays
To me, it feels like Christmas because it’s cold. When I lived in Los Angeles, the holiday season felt like any other time of the year because the weather almost didn’t change. It was rare when I had to wear a thick jacket. In fact, I didn’t own any when I lived there. One thing about winter in Tri-Cities is that you know Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years are around the corner. Because it’s cold.
The not-so-good
I’m not gonna sit here and tell you everything about winter in Tri-Cities is good. I guess it depends on your perspective. But, some of the cons I’ve heard are the extreme weather conditions. Though this year we haven’t had too many super cold days. If we’re lucky, it’ll stay like that! People have told me they become depressed during the winter because we have more dark days then sunny ones. Plus, as previously mentioned, it can feel like it’s the middle of the night if you look outside anytime after 5pm. It can be stressful to drive to work when your employer doesn’t do delayed start or cancel your appointments because of the bad weather
New things I’ve Noticed
Since being back, I’ve noticed there are many new things in Tri-Cities. One of them is the big Rosca de Reyes on January 6th. I’ve also seen more Christmas lights events; but I’m hoping they continue to improve because we like a Christmas light show! (a big one 🙂
Maybe this has nothing to do with winter but I’ve seen way more concerts happening in Tri-Cities than before and other events such as (salsa, bachata, merengue) dance classes. And I love it. Winter can be a difficult and/or boring season for some, so why not do fun things to take our mind out of the negatives we see this season, right?
Last thoughts
I think that there’s always a way to romanticize life. To me, winter in Tri-Cities is the perfect time to start a new book and read every afternoon while enjoying a cup of tea or coffee. Or to discover a new coffee shop. I used to really dislike winter the last couple of years I spent in Washington before moving to CA. I just wanted to be in a more mild weather, because that’s what I experienced growing up. But coming back, I’ve learned to appreciate every season we get.
Sometimes it just takes living in a different place to gain perspective.
You can always read more about what it is like to be a Latina living in Eastern WA.
