I promised myself to post about the weather every so often for our first year so i could compare my impressions later. It's now mid November, almost 4 months since we arrived in Bristol and here are my thoughts.
I still love it! Yes, I'm a bit cold and damp some mornings, and since I walk outside a lot more than in Abu Dhabi, the weather has a greater effect, but I love it! I love the damp smell of the autumn leaves (the Brits don't say Fall), I love the condensation on the windows in the morning that is from actual rain (not the vast difference in temperature because the air conditioning is on full blast), and I love the overcast skies that make me want to curl up on the couch with a good book or movie and two cats. I've missed fall and am enjoying every minute of it.
So, does it really rain ALL THE TIME as you've been led to believe?
No
There are beautifully sunny mornings or afternoons or whole days. In general, the sky is more overcast than sunny, but I'll bet careful observation would show a 60/40 split, not a 90/10. And as for the rain, there aren't so many big downpours, but there is a lot of misty or light rain, often hardly enough to open your umbrella. And lots of times it's just overcast, but not actually raining.
So far, temps have dipped to 35F (2C) a couple of mornings so we did have frost, which I'm told will be more and more common as winter arrives. Bristol rarely gets snow. I think someone said the last snow fall (a light dusting that didn't stick) was almost 10 years ago, so I'm hoping this is the year! ;)
The temps and damp make the perfect coat elusive. I've got a trench coat with a zip out lining that works most days, but there's no hood, which would be handy. I've also got a puffy short winter coat that I've worn on the coldest mornings, but because you're walking a lot, it's a bit too warm. Guess I'll need to do a little shopping and buy a British coat designed for the weather. (okay, yeah, that's just an excuse to go shopping!)
One thing I've learned is to always carry an umbrella (brolly) and wear good shoes. I do a ton more walking here and haven't even unpacked any of my heels - no need. My work environment is pretty casual, the city 'dress code' is casual so even a night out can be done in jeans if you want.
In fact, umbrellas are so necessary, there's even a vending machine for them at the bus station!
I still love it! Yes, I'm a bit cold and damp some mornings, and since I walk outside a lot more than in Abu Dhabi, the weather has a greater effect, but I love it! I love the damp smell of the autumn leaves (the Brits don't say Fall), I love the condensation on the windows in the morning that is from actual rain (not the vast difference in temperature because the air conditioning is on full blast), and I love the overcast skies that make me want to curl up on the couch with a good book or movie and two cats. I've missed fall and am enjoying every minute of it.
So, does it really rain ALL THE TIME as you've been led to believe?
No
There are beautifully sunny mornings or afternoons or whole days. In general, the sky is more overcast than sunny, but I'll bet careful observation would show a 60/40 split, not a 90/10. And as for the rain, there aren't so many big downpours, but there is a lot of misty or light rain, often hardly enough to open your umbrella. And lots of times it's just overcast, but not actually raining.
So far, temps have dipped to 35F (2C) a couple of mornings so we did have frost, which I'm told will be more and more common as winter arrives. Bristol rarely gets snow. I think someone said the last snow fall (a light dusting that didn't stick) was almost 10 years ago, so I'm hoping this is the year! ;)
The temps and damp make the perfect coat elusive. I've got a trench coat with a zip out lining that works most days, but there's no hood, which would be handy. I've also got a puffy short winter coat that I've worn on the coldest mornings, but because you're walking a lot, it's a bit too warm. Guess I'll need to do a little shopping and buy a British coat designed for the weather. (okay, yeah, that's just an excuse to go shopping!)
One thing I've learned is to always carry an umbrella (brolly) and wear good shoes. I do a ton more walking here and haven't even unpacked any of my heels - no need. My work environment is pretty casual, the city 'dress code' is casual so even a night out can be done in jeans if you want.
In fact, umbrellas are so necessary, there's even a vending machine for them at the bus station!
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