A Lima winter

I'm in Lima this week for a GenEq committee meeting, and things are looking a little grey, literally:

But this is normal: it's winter on the coast right now, and during these months Lima is shrouded in a constant fog. A couple days ago, June 21, was the winter solstice in Peru - Google.pe had a doodle of scarves and mittens. That was funny, because in Cajabamba, we're just starting summer. The weather in Peru is a little complicated...

We're in the southern hemisphere, so technically it should be winter now. And it is - on the coast. But because Peru's so close to the equator, "winter" temperatures rarely fall below the mid-50s. And the mountainous regions don't even have a winter! We have summer during the coast's winter, and rainy season while the costeños are sweating it out in 90+ degree heat. The temperatures are pretty much the same throughout rainy season and summer, with the rainy season being a bit more temperate and summer bringing bright sunny days and chillier nights. It never snows in Cajabamba, despite the altitude of 8,600 feet, but in higher mountain areas there's snow year-round. This variety of weather was one reason why packing for Peru was so difficult - outfits for everything from sweltering desert beaches to snow-capped peaks! But having such a variety of climates is also one of the reasons why Peru is such an awesome and unique place to explore.