“… Or call it winter, which being full of care,
Makes summer’s welcome thrice more wished,
More rare.” (SON 56)
In his stately and marching English Dr. Johnson wrote that, “”It is commonly observed, that when two Englishmen meet, their first talk is of the weather; they are in haste to tell each other what each must already know, that it is hot or cold, bright or cloudy, windy or calm.”
The habit survived in America even after the war of independence. Not only it survived but it blossomed and extended to the media, notably to all radio stations. The Shakespearean lines in question help to lift your spirits during a dreary Winter day – not uncommon here in Portland, Oregon.
It has also been suggested that you use the lines with your wife (or significant other) when she objects to your frequent (or infrequent) business trips, e.g. ‘I’ll call being away from you a winter, which being full of care, makes summer’s welcome, thrice more wished, more rare.” Find more information in “Your Daily Shakespeare”. See entry “Absence, Will you miss me?”