The passage highlights a moment of complacency regarding climate change, where people believed the seasons had transformed irreversibly. In this state of denial, even experienced musicians made significant omissions in their performances, suggesting a collective forgetfulness about the past seasons, particularly winter. Children, raised in this new reality, only knew winter through fairy tales, indicating a disconnection from nature's cycles.

However, just when this false sense of security reached its peak, New York faced a severe and sudden freeze. This cataclysmic event forced the population to confront their fears and uncertainties about the future. The winter, once considered a fairy tale, returned dramatically, compelling discussions about the implications of their changed environment and the unforeseen challenges ahead as they contemplated the millennium.