Temporarily sinking temperatures

Brrr, cold! I woke to find gray skies with white flakes both in the air and pooled along the edges of the road.

The forecast for today was absolutely correct, with temperatures reaching only the low 20s and the wind howling. It apparently is a temporary dip into winter; tomorrow is supposed to hit 40 and the next few days may be a little warmer - but this very direct short term forecast from the National Weather Service at one point during the afternoon convinced me that today was a good day to exercise in the gym:

ITS A NASTY DAY OUT THERE WITH STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS COMBINING WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE 20S TO PROVIDE CHILL VALUES OF 5 TO 10 ABOVE.

We got very little of the predicted snow today, and I'm hoping that was true of (south) coastal Maine too. I have two "use it or lose it" vacation days left, so I'm turning the next two Mondays into play days - and I'm hoping to do some walking along the coast of Maine, just this side of Portland. But the weather forecast for that area called for 2 to 4 inches of snow today. Hmmm... walking in the snow sans snowshoes? Or find another location where the snow goddess did not visit? I think I'll probably head out in my car; I can always stop short of my planned destination if the snow looks like it is getting too deep to support my dreams of wandering.

I wish that the sinking temperatures were really temporary, but I'm afraid that they are just a sign of things to come. For now I plan to enjoy the (predicted) days of respite! And the good news is that the winter weather at the beginning and end of this week has finally restored my habit of exercising in a gym as a supplement to walking and riding in the cold.