How's The Weather Down There?

By far, one of my favorite things about living in the DF, Mexico (Distrito Federal) is the weather. The city is nestled in a basin at 7,200 feet surrounded by mountains and volcanoes on the spot of what originally was the Aztec city on a lake, Tenochtitlan. Because of the latitude (fairly close to the equator) and the altitude (fairly high up) the climate here is delightful. The daily temperature ranges from 66 to 78 degrees over the course of the year, with most days being somewhere in the middle. There is also very little humidity, which someone like me from New Jersey appreciates immensely. The vast majority of the days here are sunny and in the 70’s and the majority of the nights are in the 50’s. Most buildings here, including my apartment, do not have any heating or air conditioning. (Shoosh, most buildings don’t even have insulation in them.) And as much as I enjoy the spring and fall changes in the Northeast, I can't say I have gotten sick of such pleasant weather here, day after day after day. Stepping outside to sunny and pleasant environment every day can do a lot to keep your spirits high.

There is a seasonal change here that takes place about every six months. May through October is the rainy season. (November through April is the…well, I guess it’s the non-rainy season.) “Rainy season” actually sounds worse than it is. For much of this time, the days are in fact warm and sunny, culminating in an evening shower that usually lasts about an hour, if not less. Many people can be seen waiting the rain out on the streets under awnings or in a cantina before heading on their way. And there are times during these months where it rains more than an hour, but this is mostly at night. It is true that in the fall hurricane months, you will get a couple of full days of rain in a row, but this is more the exception than the rule. These patches of rain seem a small price to pay for near perfect weather the other 10 months of the year.

One of the funny things to me is the fact that many residents here do not seem to appreciate their climatic good fortune. On days that get close to 80 degrees (without humidity, mind you) they complain, “hace mucho calor!” And on days that drop only a few degrees below 70, they say, “hace mucho frio!” Of course, even eventually warm sunny days start in the mornings with temperatures in the mid to high 60's. As I ride the subway to work in (only) my cotton button down shirt, I am surrounded by many Mexicans bundled up in coats, hats and scarves. It seems a pain in the ass to have to carry around such garb on a day that you know will hit 75 later on, but that’s how they do.

Sometimes, when I mention to a local how much I love the weather here, they tell me that the weather is really good in the nearby city of Cuernavaca, “the city of eternal spring,” and also the original home of Cortes' palace. I’ve not spent any significant time there, only driving through a couple of times on my way to Acaplulco. It lies only about an hour south, and Ale, who lived there for a while, tells me its pretty much the same as the DF, only a tad warmer. I suppose that everywhere people suffer from the “grass is always greener” affliction and don’t know a good thing when they have it. As for me, I’m lovin’ the weather here!

Photo note: The Diana Fountain on Reforma in the late afternoon. Taken by my pal Nik Ball.