The cold weather outbreaks of February are generally not as severe or as prolonged as those of mid winter. Accompanied by longer days, a higher sun and the first hints of spring, many find them easier to take.
On the other hand, these late winter blasts are usually associated with more precipitation and the cold, humid air can be especially chilling. Interspersed with periods of milder weather, which gradually sap our adaptation to winter conditions, these outbreaks often feel colder than the thermometer might indicate.
But the real problem with the February chill is its effect on the human psyche. Natives of the Tropics and not designed for cold weather, we endure winter like nomads in a strange and dangerous land; even if we enjoy the beauty and activities of the winter season, we have a collective, subconscious attachment to warm, sunny weather. In February, as we sense that our homeland is on the horizon, the last gasps of winter throw psychological roadblocks across our path; not patient creatures, we find it hard to cope with nature's uneven march toward spring.
