Written by Mayra Sheikh
Caltech is a beautifully manicured campus that sits in Pasadena in sunny Southern California. The campus has funds that are allotted for landscaping, so it is always grassy green, even when it is over a hundred degrees outside. The weather in the summer (late May through most of September) can get very warm, with occasional spikes when it is really hot and it feels like you're melting. On the bright side, the beach is close by, and the land of bikinis and swimming trunks is rather good on the eyes. Every now and then, our parched region will get rain, but this happens maybe once all summer, if at all. Shoes are nice to save your feet from scalding on the baking concrete walkways. Sandals, however, are very much recommended. In autumn (October to mid-December) when school starts, it's slightly cooler. During this time, most male students are comfortable in a T-shirt and shorts, and girls prefer a tank top and a skirt or shorts. Again, sandals are the dominant style of footwear. Many people from other states miss home during this time of the year because we do not have a plethora of rainbow colored leaves in Pasadena. Instead, evergreens and some trees with brown leaves dominate the vegetation.
The winter season (late December to mid-March) is very mild. People from states like Minnesota describe our winters as "balmy" weather. Obviously, this means no rain, snow, hail, or sleet. However, most people do prefer to wear a sweatshirt and full-length pants. Tennis shoes are worn by a few, but once again, sandals are ever-present. We get a few rainy days during this time of year, and in most years, you can count these days on your fingers. Spring here is like autumn, but brighter. There is a large variety of flowers around, and the air is very nice and breezy-sometimes fairy-tale-like. Unfortunately, spring in Southern California is very short-lived (from late March to early May). Though Caltech's weather can be depressing at times, Mother Nature generally takes care of us Techers.