No sign of winter returning

Poland is said to be a country of six seasons, with both autumn and spring divided into two distinct sub-seasons. Autumn is composed of 'babie lato' or 'złota jesień' (both names denoting a continuation of warm, dry summer weather into late September and October), and then the leaves fall from the trees, the weather gets wet and sleety, the day shortens drastically, while we await the first frosts and snowfalls of winter proper. Similarly before spring proper arrives, we have a sub-season called 'przednówek' or 'przedwiośnie'; the snow and frost has gone, but there's no sign of nature bursting into life yet.

Above: The view from my room this morning. A touch of blue sky to lift the late-January gloom.

This is where our seasons have got to this year. The snows were brief and mild. Since mid-January, the daytime temperature has been well above average, indeed, I'd be surprised if this doesn't turn out to be the warmest winter in Warsaw since records began.

The blue sky in the two photos above has come and gone, greyness has rushed in. Planes coming into Okęcie are landing from over Ursynów (Runway 29), as they do when the wind is directly from the west, rather than over Jeziorki (Runway 33), when there's a prevailing north-westerly wind.