<p>It seems like there has been a lot of rain ( big drenching long storms) and high wind in Tuscaloosa this year. Is it always like this, or is this an unusually wet year?</p>
<p>Sent from my DROID RAZR using CC</p>
<p>Mid-December through mid-March is the wettest time of year here. It’s also the least predictable. Like today, it can be 70 in the afternoon and drop 30-40 degrees in a few hours. Last winter was mild and it only dropped below freezing a few times. The year before that we had a 12 day stretch where it never got above freezing. A common saying here in Alabama is “if you don’t like the weather, just wait an hour and it’ll change.”</p>
<p>I don’t remember January being this wet in the time I’ve been at UA, but each rain storm is of normal quantity. </p>
<p>What bugs me is that Tuscaloosa gets a lot of rain, but the UA campus doesn’t have a good drainage system. I’ve only seen maybe 3 actual storm drains on campus (not the cutouts in the curbs that one could easily trip into.) There should not be 3"-6" deep steams of water covering parts of parking lots or University Boulevard during what is a series of typical storms.</p>
<p>It seems like there has been more rain, BUT the temp has been warmer. We’ve had some VERY cold Dec’s in the past. It has snowed on or near two CSDays. </p>
<p>Yesterday and today were warm, but there was a lot of rain today.</p>
<p>Tuscaloosa is border subtropic, so it does have a monsoon season! One of my best investments as a student was a big golf umbrella. Yes, it snows, but doesn’t stick or, if it does, melts hours later. Some winter days are very cold, some aren’t. I remember one gameday when we set out for campus in 70 degree weather, but when we arrived the temps had dropped to the upper 40s about 1 p.m. and continued to drop.</p>
<p>As far as drainage, the campus is right on a river. Lots of rain on lots of parking lots = lots of runoff in a short amount of time. I walked through 2’ deep puddles on the Quad one day going to class…fortunately it was a warm day. Things do drain quickly.</p>
<p>As a National Weather Service meteorologist once said, “Welcome to Alabama, all four seasons in one week.”</p>
<p>Because of the rain and walking thru puddles, I got my boys waterproof high top shoes from Clarks. Some also wear “duck shoes”. </p>
<p>Yes, the temp can drop…especially in the stadium for evening games. </p>
<p>For day to day, if it’s cold, wearing layers works best. When there’s a breeze of any sort, the wind chill factor exists. I’m a fan of scarves since you can wrap your neck and cover your ears, too.</p>
<p>When we visited back in October on the Monday we did our tour it was a drizzly rain and we noticed most kids were wearing a rain coat and most girls were wearing rain boots. D has now started to like rain boots after that visit and has since bought 2 pair. She wants more to match different outfits.</p>
<p>We figure the weather is similiar to Dallas, constantly changing from minute to minute.</p>
<p>Just been on Bama’s campus. It’s raining, and for those who want to know how girls dress… A good number of the girls are wearing leggings, boots, and a hoodie (or jacket) with some kind of Tshirt or top hanging a bit below the hoodie (or jacket).</p>
<p>The boots are a variety of Uggs, rainboots and riding boots.</p>
<p>Wish I had a daughter…these are mighty cute from Target and on clearance, to boot - ha, ha!
[url=<a href="http://www.target.com/p/women-s-maiya-rain-boot/-/A-14200082#prodSlot=medium_1_16&term=rain%20boots]Women’s">http://www.target.com/p/women-s-maiya-rain-boot/-/A-14200082#prodSlot=medium_1_16&term=rain%20boots]Women’s</a> Maiya Rain Boot : Target<a href=“If%20url%20doesn’t%20come%20thru,%20google%20target%20and%20then” title=“Maiya rain boot”>/url</a> The Zasha is cute, too, with the lime/mustard green innards, just like a frog’s…</p>
<p>This has felt like an exceptionally gloomy winter so far in Atlanta, about 3 hours away. I’m mildewing.</p>
<p>At least it would be a break from the rain. lol</p>
<p>No, no - WhitLo,</p>
<p>You are gleaming with dewy freshness…</p>
<p>^^^glistening^^^ which is, after all, the only term a true Belle would use!</p>
<p>Of Course!</p>
<p>I obviously need lessons in Belle.</p>
<p>Oh, no, I will be in Houston from Friday through Monday. Snow! I’d be happy if I wasn’t driving, and I also had a bird watching trip planned for Galveston while there. Thanks for the heads up!</p>
<p>I think all the glistening dew has distracted aeromom, who does indeed have a daughter she could buy those boots for.</p>
<p>Buy the boots, aeromom, if she won’t wear them, <em>I</em> will!</p>
<p>They often forecast snow here…it seldom happens. But Boy Howdy! It sure completely screws up traffic when it does. </p>
<p>No snow equipment. No gravel. No salt. And no one who knows how to drive in it.</p>
<p>A real mess.</p>
<p>To go with the Pajama Pants 2012Mom is making for me…</p>
<p>Those are one pair of the rain boots we got D for Christmas. Look on Zulily for some GREAT rain boots. By the time I got D to look on there they were out of the ones she wanted in her size. </p>
<p>It has been a COLD winter here in Dallas so far. We were really below our rainfall but we had several monsoons last week. It has been steadly COLD since Dec 24. Glad we got a new pool pump last summer as this one has been getting a real workout.</p>
<p>I’ll be in Houston the end of this month. Same time every year. Last few times it has been drizzly, humid and cool.</p>