I'm hearing conflicting information about the upcoming winter

[conuly]

Apparently it will either be colder and wetter than usual or it will be warmer and dryer than usual. NO MIDDLE GROUND.

How can I plan if I don't know what'll happen!?

Comments

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

Plan what? It's not going to make much difference to your wardrobes - you'll all still need clothes and boots for the coldest, wettest weather on some days this winter, even if it turns out to be fewer days than usual. Buy clothing that's easy to layer; you can always add or subtract some.

When I don't know what's going to happen, I tend to assume that things are going to be a mess, and plan for that. Then it's a pleasant surprise if they turn out not to be such a mess after all.

[conuly]

It affects whether I get a particular leaking (water!) pipe fixed now or keep stopgapping it until later in the season.

Last time we had a furnace/radiator pipe issue we paid up to fix it right away and then the furnace was hardly on the entire season and boy, did that really annoy me.

[conuly]

It also affects whether I pay up for flea medication now or hold off until the end of winter, come to think, yes, thank you Callie for reminding me.

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

As to that, my view is never to put off essential maintenance, because doing so is like inviting Murphy to come and camp on your doorstep. The thing that needed to be fixed but wasn't invariably goes badly wrong just at the worst time, when there's no extra funds to cover it. Leaking water is particularly bad; don't let it get any worse.

I presume your cat interacts outdoors with other cats who aren't treated for fleas; therefore yes, pay up for the flea medicine. Or wait till your cat actually has fleas, but by then of course your house will also have fleas, and they can be hard to get rid of.