Reader: Must we again endure the annual stream of articles/columns in The Californian comparing Bakersfield’s hot summers to the depths of Hades? Every summer, people whine about Bako’s hot, dry weather and feign surprise at our first 100-degree day in May or June. (The chorus of crying and complaining must be deafening in places like Phoenix, Palm Springs and Las Vegas — all of which get much hotter than Bakersfield.)

Many of us hearty types have grown to enjoy the pleasures of south San Joaquin summers: bright, cheery 70-degree mornings; hot, dry afternoons perfect for swimming pools, and trips to the chilly Kern River; and there’s no better place to get a suntan in America, thanks to Bako’s almost constant summer sunshine.

Countless real-estate-refugees from the Coast have lamented to me how the summers here are so dreadful: “This is terrible — hot, sunny weather in the summertime!?! Whoever heard of such a thing!” Well, perhaps these “meteorological mopers” should retreat to a “softer, gentler” climate, such as Santa Barbara or Carmel. After all, Bakersfield summers aren’t for the faint-of-heart (or so I’m told).
—Greg Gordon

Managing Editor Logan Molen: Greg, I’ve lived in the San Joaquin Valley since 1965 and in Bakersfield since 1988. I’m not a Johnny come lately.

I don’t mind the summers. But it’s miserably hot. And it’s uncomfortable. And, yeah, I’m going to moan about it now. And so are many other people — newbies and longtimers alike — who otherwise enjoy living here. If complaining about the weather makes us “meteorogical mopers,” so be it.