Summertime in October in...New York?

Me and the husband found ourselves with a spare week on our hands in October and decided to make a last minute trip to visit my family and friends in New York. It was mid-October and I thought let's go now so English husband can see the spectacular east coast fall foliage for the first time. So we bought last minute tickets - bringing our flight tally to 3 for the year - 2 short hauls (Berlin & Outer Hebrides) and 1 long haul (New York). Taking the train or driving to any of these places is a) impossible or b) ridiculously long (13+ hours) so I feel vindicated in my pollution choices.

I packed a bag of woolie sweater, jeans and scarves expecting the typical brisk autumn temperatures.

But when we landed in New York we were greeted with summertime, balmy weather. My skin instantly glowed and my hair went into a mass of waves. For 5 days I had to wear the same sleeveless t-shirt and light pants I just happened to bring.

We drank outside, ate outside and took long, sweaty walks along the streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn and even had a beach day trip to CT. The warm weather felt fantastic, I have to admit. But it was freaky. Just like last year when we went to NY for Christmas and I had to peel my winter jacket off in the 60+F sun due to heat exhaustion.

And the hot temperatures retarded the famous burst of the foliage. Central Park was lush and green, barely an orange or red leaf in sight, and our trip up to the Catskills in the 3rd week in October was green for the first 30 miles before we started to see any colorful leaves in the spectacular mountain setting. The foliage was only at about 30% , versus the 80-90% it would normally be at that time of year. In fact, our first day visiting our friends' country house up there, it was so warm, we poured some beers and sun bathed in their gorgeous back garden which overlooked the green rolling hills. It was b-b-q weather. You could see the geese flying southward by in their fantastic migration formations, no doubt confused about why they were leaving such a summery place.

Back in London, there is no sign of bizarre warming in the least. It has been wintry for a good 6 weeks now, with a slight lapse into the low 50sF (12-13C) every now and then. And rain rain rain. Properly miserable November/early December. But the past week has been in the low 30sF (3-4C). And today is sunny and crisp - full hat and scarf weather.

Which means the heat is cranked up. Another tick in my sinner column. But it is supposed to be coming from green sources, which makes me feel not quite as bad.