Weather and our mood

Spring has arrived! We all are feeling the relief from the overcast, damp, and cold winter weather; it’s behind us once again. Spring is here and summer is fast approaching. Some of you may recall this movie quote. A contestant is asked to describe her perfect date. “That’s a tough one. I’d have to say April 25. Because it’s not too hot, not too cold. All you need is a light jacket.”

Our mood is affected by the weather. In the field of human psychology, some studies address the association between seasonal weather patterns and our moodiness. Interestingly, the research I found regarding daily weather and mood has shown no real long-term, measurable change in people’s moods. There are a few exceptions. However, seasonal weather changes can have a lasting impact. The phrase used to describe seasonal weather changes and human mood is called Seasonal Affective Disorder – or simply SAD.

This past winter, a longtime friend and I talked about his experience with a bit of gloominess. We talked about how winter can affect us. We agreed that it would make an interesting subject for this column. I sat down at my dependable computer and took a deep dive into the World Wide Web. I settled on two sites that thoroughly addressed the issue of seasonal weather moodiness. There are others, though these two covered the subject well. They are the Mayo Clinic and Patient. The Mayo Clinic is here in the United States; Patient is United Kingdom based. Both are reputable medical sites.

The overall takeaway regarding Seasonal Affective Disorder, SAD, is that it’s a type of depression. It lasts varying lengths of time and may be somewhat dependent on one’s neuroticism. Interestingly, coupled with SAD is a bit of geography. Here’s why: The higher the latitude one lives at, the bigger the swing of seasonal daylight hours, one contributing element of SAD. Here in the Coulee, we are at 47˚ North latitude. We see big shifts in the amount of daylight we receive through the seasons.

Let me share some of the facts I found. I’ll start with the Mayo Clinic. The Mayo Clinic addresses both Fall and Winter SAD in addition to Spring and Sumner SAD. The Mayo Clinic summarizes these changes. “Symptoms specific to winter-onset SAD, sometimes called winter depression, may include: oversleeping, appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates, weight gain and tiredness or low energy. Symptoms specific to summer-onset seasonal affective disorder, sometimes called summer depression, may include: trouble sleeping (insomnia), poor appetite, weight loss, agitation or anxiety and increased irritability.”

The Mayo Clinic is clear that the specific causes of SAD are unknown. Though, mentioned are one’s biological clock (circadian rhythm) can be disrupted and affect one’s internal or body clock. The brain chemical serotonin may be reduced by less sunlight. Also, seasonal change can disturb the body’s level of melatonin, which has a role in sleep and mood patterns.

Patient, the medical site in the United Kingdom, offers additional insight. Addressing who develops SAD, Patient says, “Between 3 and 6 people in 100 in the UK are thought to experience SAD. Many more, perhaps as many as 12-13 in 100, have winter blues. SAD is less common in countries near to the equator where the hours of sunlight are more constant and brighter throughout the year. SAD usually first begins between the ages of 20 to 30 but it can develop at any age. It affects four times as many women as men.” Again, latitude is mentioned and the great change in daylight hours throughout the seasons.

Apparently “winter blues” is not a full-blown case of SAD. Patient defines winter blues – “In the winter many people feel more tired, sleep more, put on some weight, and feel a little low. However, they do not develop the full features of depression to be classed as having SAD.” Both the Mayo Clinic and Patient list some helpful things one might do counteract SAD. I’ll leave that up to you.

Let us review some weather data. First, a look at 2021-22 winter snowfall (Nov, Dec, & Jan). Total snowfall was 17.6 inches, and the Snow Water Equivalent (SEW) was 2.14 inches. Total precipitation was 4.08 inches. These data are all from my home weather station.

Now, a look at data for the month of March 2022. I measured 0.73 inches of precipitation for the month. The mean for the March is 0.88 inches and the all-time maximum was 4.13 inches in 2012. The lowest measurement was in 1969 at 0.04 inches. The low temperature for March was 19.1˚F on the 10th and the high was 70.1˚F on the 28th. The all-time low was -1˚F in 2019, while the all-time high was 74˚F in 1942. Our mean was 43.1˚F, the all-time mean is 41.1˚F.

Our region did not fully recover from last year’s drought conditions. Currently, our region is listed as D1, Moderate Drought in the area to the north, and D2, Severe Drought to the south, west and east.