98. Summer climate in St. Petersburg
Summer officially ends with the autumnal equinox, which in the Northern hemisphere falls on September 22 this year. Some people mark the end of the summer as September 1, which more closely coincides with clean calendar boundaries and school schedules (in fact, schools here started class on Friday September 1). Either way, the summer weather is definitely finished in St. Petersburg. June, July, and August were lovely: temperatures in the high 50s through low 70s Fahrenheit, with clear blue skies the norm in June and July. August did see a bit more wind and rain, making an umbrella a necessary precaution every time I left the apartment. The temperature never dipped below roughly 55 degrees, nor reached into the 80s as far as I noticed. Quite a pleasant climate.
During the last week or two, autumn has taken up residence in St. Petersburg. The days start with temperatures in the high 40s, and often never reach the 60s. Rain is still a possibility on most days. Trees have generally not yet responded to the change, although a few leaves are starting to fall here and there. I've heard that it's not uncommon for summer weather to reappear briefly in late September, so we'll see if that happens this year.
Of course, the Fahrenheit temperatures listed above are meaningless to Russians. Like almost the entire rest of the world outside of the United States, the Celsius scale is used here. I still do not have an intuitive sense of what Celsius temperatures really mean. That is, if someone throws out a number, I don't automatically understand exactly what that temperature will feel like the way I do with Fahrenheit measurements. For example, if the day's predicted high is 9 Celsius, I won't automatically know whether I need to put on a jacket before I go outside. Only after I convert that temperature to 48 Fahrenheit will I know without a doubt what my outfit should be.
I have finally learned an easy equation to convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit without a computer, calculator, or cell phone nearby, so I can easily participate in the frequent weather small talk. In case you were wondering, the easiest way I've found to convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit is to double the Celsius number, subtract ten percent, and then add 32. Et voila!
During the last week or two, autumn has taken up residence in St. Petersburg. The days start with temperatures in the high 40s, and often never reach the 60s. Rain is still a possibility on most days. Trees have generally not yet responded to the change, although a few leaves are starting to fall here and there. I've heard that it's not uncommon for summer weather to reappear briefly in late September, so we'll see if that happens this year.
Of course, the Fahrenheit temperatures listed above are meaningless to Russians. Like almost the entire rest of the world outside of the United States, the Celsius scale is used here. I still do not have an intuitive sense of what Celsius temperatures really mean. That is, if someone throws out a number, I don't automatically understand exactly what that temperature will feel like the way I do with Fahrenheit measurements. For example, if the day's predicted high is 9 Celsius, I won't automatically know whether I need to put on a jacket before I go outside. Only after I convert that temperature to 48 Fahrenheit will I know without a doubt what my outfit should be.
I have finally learned an easy equation to convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit without a computer, calculator, or cell phone nearby, so I can easily participate in the frequent weather small talk. In case you were wondering, the easiest way I've found to convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit is to double the Celsius number, subtract ten percent, and then add 32. Et voila!
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