I would figure it’s difficult to impossible for a lot of posters on these boards (myself included) to set low expectations regarding winter. Even if you understand how the ENSO stuff works, even if you concede that climate change will make our winters progressively less cold and snowy, there’s still a hope that a particular winter will defy the odds, and occasionally they do, and that’s why we stick with this hobby. It’s like a slot machine giving you a small win every once in awhile to keep you coming back.