Word: wintered
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...highway tunnel, the Alps appear suddenly, sitting like a silent committee of gods. Mountains are a testament to nature's power, and to the human instinct to defy it. The very tunnel that provides such easy access to the slopes is an impressive victory for the mortals. But this winter, the mountain gods are reminding mankind just who's in charge. The ski season in Europe began as one of the barest on record, and even when the snow has fallen misfortune has frequently followed. High temperatures have caused a series of pro races to be canceled and contributed...
...suggest to one of the locals that the recent arrival of winter sun must be a Copernican revolution. Viganella native Paolo Ragozza responds with a chuckle. "For us," he says, "it hasn't changed anything." Still, the nearby lodge owner is happy if the mirror brings new guests. "You'll see," he says, before giving driving directions, "it's a nice gadget." The town square is tiny, with no stores or restaurants, and is encircled by abandoned 15th century stone and wood cottages that look like drooping gingerbread houses. It is the vision of a dying mountain town, except...
Soon, out-of-towners arrive, having seen television reports of the mirror's December inauguration. Some are more than just curiosity seekers. Stephan Stucky lives in the Swiss town of Brig-Glis, which is shut out from the sun for two months each winter. He was expecting more from the mirror. "I thought you'd feel the warmth. It's more like a flashlight," he says, looking up and squinting. "I was expecting deck chairs and umbrellas, and cold drinks." A group of five men, including two building engineers, come to scout the project for the Italian town of Selvetta...
...that shall live in infamy. Or maybe not. In the dead of a New England winter, Harvard students awoke to golden sunshine, gentle breezes, and temperatures in the high 60s, donned shorts and t-shirts, and emerged from their beds to a peculiar scene. The Yard was littered with sunbathers, Frisbee games, and even an impromptu barbeque. It was awesome...
Anxieties about climate change make good weather in winter a cause for concern, as well as for celebration. Climatologists frequently warn against making judgments on the plausibility of global warming based on anecdotal experiences of hot or cold weather, but as I basked in the sunlight of Saturday’s bizarre version of a winter wonderland, I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. Visions of my family’s Manhattan apartment submerged by the swelling sea ran through my brain...