Yep, that’s right. The year 2005 is almost over. It has been a strange year mostly in regards to the weather. We really need to look back though, to Christmas morning 2004. What an amazing sight we woke up to. White stuff, a.k.a. snow, on the ground, even as far as Corpus Christi. Then, on New Year’s there was total reversal as temperatures went from cold to warm. Perhaps that should’ve been a clue as to what 2005 was to bring.

The rest of the winter and spring weren’t too remarkable, but summer would provide a different story. Heat, heat, and more heat. And instead of the relief from this heat we all looked for, we got something worse instead. It started with Hurricane Dennis. It was the strongest storm ever recorded prior to August. Fortunately, it didn’t come our way. Then came Emily, which would quickly take over Dennis’ record for the strongest storm prior to August. Then came the two sisters that would raise havoc on the Gulf Coast from Alabama to Texas. Those of course were Katrina and Rita. The effects of both these storms are being felt even today.

So, what has this to do with anything? Well, most of us know the old saying, “If you don’t like the weather in Texas, just stick around a few minutes, it’ll change.” November would provide a good example of that. Instead of the cooler weather expected for this time of year, we were still getting temperatures in the 80s. Then in one weekend, it went from being “warm” to being cooler.

So what lesson can we learn? Perhaps it isn’t a lesson at all. Instead it’s something we already know. The weather can change in an instant. With winter not too far away, we can certain expect to wake up to cold mornings, around mid-70s in the afternoon, with dropping temps as night falls.

This is a time for layering. That is, wearing several layers of clothes. This allows for warmth for those early morning rides that go into mid-day or later when the temperature starts to claim. As it gets warmer, you can remove some of the layers. When it starts getting cooler again, you can put them back on. And don’t forget that good ol’ stand-by, the rain gear. How many times have we heard “No rain in the forecast” only to be caught by the “no rain in the forecast” rain?

There’s another old saying “Everybody talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it”. Well, it’s true that we all talk about the weather. But it isn’t necessary true we can’t do anything about it. No we can’t change what it does, but we can certainly dress appropriately for it. So, keep an eye on the weather forecast, but keep in mind, nature doesn’t care what the forecasters say, it will do its own thing.

Hope everyone has a happy holiday season.

Till next time - Ride Safe and Stay Visible.

Collen Campbell
Chapter M-2 Rider Educator