Kingstonians Embracing the Warm Winter?

At a risk of sounding whiny or perhaps even a little bit un-Canadian, I admit that I really dislike winter. Seasonal chores such as snow removal and scraping off icy windshields, as well as the unwelcome side effects including miserable colds, wet clothing and ridiculously high utility bills combine to represent the opposite of what I consider to be a good living. Sure we all love to skate, ski or even throw a snow ball now and again, but really, the only time most of us care to see a blanket of snow on the ground is on Christmas morning. Needless to say, if you’re anything like me, this winter has been absolutely fantastic in terms of temperature and the absence of significant snow accumulation. While other cities near Kingston have reported being hammered by a few more flurries than Kingston, save for the Maritimes, it’s been a warm winter across the entire country. Accordingly, this week’s poll asks:

This past weekend I attended Feb Fest and couldn’t help but notice that the scene just wasn’t the same as it has been in years past. Instead of the traditional 24 hour snow sculpture competition, ice slide and snow maze, organizers were forced to put underused snow clearance equipment on display on the doorstep of City Hall.  Sure the lineup for Beaver Tails was insane and decent sized crowds flocked to Market Square to watch kids play hockey, but the lack of snow kind of hindered our burgeoning winter festival.  In January, temperatures were at least three to six degrees above normal across most of the country, and looking ahead to the rest of Winter and Spring, meteorologists are predicting even more unseasonably warm temperatures.

Has the the lack of snow and sub-zero conditions deterred or increased your enjoyment of Winter this year? Did you scrap plans to venture down south as a result of the conditions back home, or have you had to scrap plans to go cross country skiing? Are you concerned that the warmer temperatures could spell a painfully hot summer for Kingston?