“Unusually Good November Weather”

I was talking to a colleague yesterday when he remarked that Columbus had been enjoying “unusually good November weather.”

I had to pause for a moment, because in the Midwest the words “good” and “November” and “weather” are never heard together in a sentence. Such a statement is only arguably accurate if you add “unusually” as the initial modifier–but then you are basically damning with faint praise, like grudgingly conceding that a particular book isn’t the worst book you’ve ever read or acknowledging that a pitcher can throw the ball without falling down.

The observation about the weather was true, because we did have two decent days when conditions were dry, the sun shone, and the temperature hit the 60s. But using “November weather” as the point of comparison really doesn’t say much. And sure enough, by Friday classic November weather, seen in the photo above, had come again–wet, cold, and gray. If you can avoid one of those conditions, it’s a pretty good day, and if you can avoid two of them it’s a cause for celebration.

“November weather” unmistakably communicates that another winter is around the corner, and you might was well brace yourself for its arrival.