WHITHER WINTER? AREA BASKS IN MISSING SEASON

These are the comments you prefer not to approach, feeling a jinx is cast on those who make too much of good fortune. All the same, this question begs: What happened to winter? We have braced against what we know it can be in Southeast Missouri, parkas and snow shovels at the ready, only to turn the calendar and discover that March arrived and cold weather never did. It seems odd, but pleasantly odd.

From a stellar perspective, winter does not end until March 20, when Sun and Earth conspire in the vernal equinox. A more down-to-earth perspective is that the harsh weather that sometimes haunts our environs during the short days of December, January and February just never showed. Records show it was the warmest winter in 47 years. To be sure, there were brittle days; the coldest actually came in November. And there was no lack of precipitation; it just came in the form of rain and not frozen material.

And who gains from this divine largess? Travelers and those motorists skittish on icy roads had a less daunting time of it. School systems did not exhaust their quota for "snow days." State and municipal treasuries were not taxed by excessive expenditures in keeping roads clear. (Experienced governmental managers know not to celebrate this too boldly; winters approach that will bust the sand-and-salt budgets. Playing a break-even game is good enough in this regard.)

For those who gain, there are also losers: retailers who overbought snow shovels and heavy coats, auto body repair firms for whom less traction means more fender-benders and children with new sleds to try out. We sympathize, but our outlook is always improved by sunny skies.

We know winter is out there, for we heard of it striking in places like Butte and Bismarck and Buffalo. Blame it not on global warming, and credit it not to the mysterious El Nino. Instead, accept that the winds just blew in our favor this year. Next year, the story may be different, which is all the more reason to enjoy the nice days. Not to mention the fact, and this is the hazard of speaking too soon on this capricious subject, that two weeks from now we may be bundled inside overcoats and wondering if spring will ever arrive.