Monday 73°/47°

Tuesday 75°/55°

Wednesday 57°/40°

Thursday 59°/38°

Friday 68°/41°

Saturday 59°/47°

Sunday 52°/38°

Monday 64°/42°

Tuesday 73°/43°

Wednesday 59°/39°

For the past several years, the weather patterns in southern California have been similarly erratic, and it can be downright confusing to try to figure out how to dress on a given day. I became even more aware of the large daily temperature fluctuations when our central heat/air stopped functioning in February, because for a period of two weeks, the temperature inside our home was reflective of the ambient temperature outside. During the first four days, the high temperature in my area was 54 degrees Fahrenheit, then crept up to the mid 60’s for two days. Then we had a small heat wave for 3 days which caused the mercury to jump to the upper 80’s. Then suddenly, the temperature plummeted to the mid to upper 50’s during the day. Low temps during that two week period ranged between 37 degrees and 55 degrees, so bundling up at night was imperative.

One habit which I had to develop over the past few years as a result of the erratic climate is to dress in layers, a habit which I had already begun to cultivate when I went through menopause and was managing my random hot flashes. Gone are the days when I was able to put away my summer clothing during the colder months, because the temperature can run from a brisk 54 degrees in the early morning to a balmy 91 degrees by midday (see screenshot at top of this blogpost for an actual weather forecast for my area infrom earlier this month). The fact that we can have a high temp of 70 degrees one day, then a high temp of 90 degrees three days later, is pretty maddening.