12/10/2023 0 Comments Boston temperature![]() Everyone who’s been happily dining outdoors, but carefully avoiding restaurant interiors, will be forced to revert to takeout-only, or spend previously unthinkable time noshing on patio furniture while wearing jackets. ![]() “That is a concern that every restaurateur in the city of Boston is bracing for,” says Bob Luz, head of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. And the easiest thing we can do? Get used to spending more time in the cold.įor one, dining on sun-drenched patios will soon be a thing of the past. It all adds up to us preparing for the biggest bummer of a winter most of us have experienced since the Snowpocalypse of 2015, which means it’s time to put a lot of extra effort into staying sane this season. A creeping sense of dread about winter has begun creeping into local news coverage: Recently, the Boston Globe, seeking advice on how to cope with extreme isolation, turned to South Pole researchers and submarine crewmembers for help. Combine the unprecedented cabin fever that a COVID-19 winter will bring with the very real and well-documented effects of seasonal affective disorder once daylight hours begin to dwindle, and it’s not hard to imagine this season will be a very sad one indeed. We know the mental health costs will be high- already, the pandemic has had serious impacts on mental health and substance abuse. Thanksgiving feasts and “Friendsgivings” in the homes of buddies and loved ones are out this year, as are Halloween costume bashes, Christmas parties, crowded New Year’s ragers at Boston bars, or any other beloved wintertime traditions that involve finger foods, punch bowls and high concentrations of people you like. It’s gonna be hard in the fall.” So: holiday celebrations are off the table. Thomas Tsai, assistant professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Harvard T.H. Health officials are already warning that a lack of vigilance on safe decision-making could lead to a new surge of COVID here as the seasons change. Soon, the harsh New England winter will bring major changes to all of our lives, and the time to start preparing for that reality is now. But as some cool temperatures finally arrive at the tail end of beach season, I think we all need to acknowledge the cold, hard, meteorological truth: It’s not gonna be summer forever. Many of us are spending more time than ever outside, and days spent lounging under the warm sun in parks and eating out at restaurant patios are soul-cleansing. Case numbers have stayed low, and by following the science that shows being outdoors is relatively safe, we’ve been able to actually enjoy ourselves, in spite of everything. Snow on Hemenway Street photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images | Banyan patio photo by Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty ImagesĪfter all the chaos and tragedy the city saw in the first weeks of the pandemic, by summer Boston had an improbable amount of breathing room.
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