Ryan Greenberg

The local weather during April and May was somewhat unusual for the area. Instead of falling temperatures and heavy rains, we had, well, not falling temperatures and rains. While the mornings and nights got chillier, the afternoons remained warm in the 70s. There was hardly a day of rain. Most of the Chileans I know told me how they hoped the weather would change soon. The heat was too much, and without rain we’d have to take conservations measures soon. I kept my fingers crossed that the weather would stay nice just a little bit longer because my friend Elizabeth, who isn’t fond of the cold, was coming to visit in late May.

I got my wish, and the weather was well-behaved for the time Elizabeth was here. In fact, the trees were nicely painted and the valley where I live looked appropriately covered in the rust of fall. When we hiked to the top of the nearby hill, we got a nice eyeful of the changes.

Last night Elizabeth left on a red-eye flight back to the U.S. Although we saw some light rain earlier in the week, it wasn’t strong. While we were in the airport, it started to rain. Now that Elizabeth has been gone for about a half-day, we’ve seen roughly 12 hours of rain. The streets are flooded and dark, the air is wet, and, when it’s clear, you can see the snow on the surrounding mountains.

It took its time, but the weather is changing at last. Hopefully spring will be here early.