Yesterday (Monday 12-Jan) at this time we had winter storm warning forecast for this afternoon into the morning and a Blizzard watch for Wednesday afternoon into the evening. The winter storm warning has been canceled, but we still may have blizzard conditions tomorrow. This is on top of the 8 to 12 inches of snow that fell over the weekend. It is only January. Tomorrow or this evening it is supposed to get very cold. The forecast is calling for single digit highs (F). Reminds me of some past winter in NW Ohio. Back during my Freshman year of College we had some winter weather that really closed down most of NW Ohio for days. People around here still talk of the Blizzard of ’78. A local radio station as an annual on air auction event to remember that storm. It is the 30th year of that auction (started 1 year after the storm). A local PBS station produce and re-runs annually a documentary on that storm. I remember being snowed in at College and we were wondering if we would be able to get food at the cafeteria. I also remember going out in an old Volkswagen Beetle equipped with dune buggy wheels. Classes were canceled for the only time in the 4 years I was at the school.
Then back in 1984, I got married. The day after our wedding (the night/morning of) set a record for low temperature that, as far as I know is still a record. For the next few years, the days surrounding our annivesary were always very, very cold (Highs were below zero F). We always looked forward to those cold days in January.
Then there was the January of 1993, I had just started at my current place of employement the September before. We started having work canceled (I work at a school) because of extremely cold temperatures. I felt bad taking off work and getting paid for it. I never worked at a place that canceled because of cold. My employer no longer does this, since we are not in charge of getting the buses running (Gelling diesel fuel was the cause of all the closures). After few years, I wasn’t so rough on myself for those weather related closures, now that we don’t have it, I kind of miss it.
So this year, we’ve had ice, snow and are forecast for more snow, blowing snow and cold temperatures. While I really don’t want much more snow (Sorry daughter #3), I don’t mind the cold temperatures in January. Those temperatures bring back many fond memories for me. January and cold weather always went hand in hand. What will we get in the next few weeks, who knows. Stay safe, stay warm is my winter motto.
For further enjoyment, the winter of 1982 was interesting too. There were blizzard conditions in April. 8 inches of snow fell overnight. My new boss, (I started in February), was on vacation in Florida. He was wondering where everyone was. I arrived at work around noon (start time was 8:00) and was the only person in my department. I had to travel farther than anyone else too. For some reason my boss didn’t seem to believe the April snow storm happened, at least not until he checked out the news. Massive Ohio snow storm did make the national news in 1982. Fun winter stuff.
I remember all of the storms you speak of. Most of them were fondly remembered b/c I was still too young to care about work and got days free from school. Boy do I remember ’78. My oldest brother’s b-day is April 8th and we were having a family celebration.
The older I get, the more I don’t like the cold and snow. Instead of a day off work, for a stay-at-home mom it means the opposite – more work when school is canceled due to rambunctious kids, especially when it’s too cold to play outside. If I didn’t like where I live so much, I would move to a warmer climate. For today, my challenge will be piling 4 kids into a minivan with a broken door in the blizzard. Fun.
No blizzard, but the temperatures will be very cold.
As I get older, I tend to not like the snow much either. I always enjoyed the snow days when I got them. My girls and I would always have fun on those extra days off.
I don’t know what’s worse. All the snow we got here since the weekend (7 inches along with another 3 inches on monday & 7 more inches wednesday) or the cold temps. Right now it’s -27 degrees with -54 wind chills.
Snow, cold, Snow and Cold! It’s all too much, but I’d rather have colder temperatures than around 32 and ice. Much rather have cold and snow. But -27!!! Wow. That is cold even without the wind chill. At -5, my breath freezes on my beard, much colder than that could freeze my face shut 😉
hehehe – better shave before that happens!
Believe it or not, it could be worse. The temp in Fargo, ND was -48 and I’m not sure if they meant wind chill or just regular temperature. They did mention that in that temperature, fingers can get frostbite in 60 seconds! Ouch!
oops – I guess another user was logged into my computer, so my last comment was posted under the name ‘whatever’
I’m pretty sure at the ripe young age of eleven I wouldn’t have minded the April snow at all in ’82. I don’t know how much fell here, but I’m sure we got it too. I do remember our flood of 1985. I rode my bicycle through half a foot of water to deliver newspapers.
-18ºF tonight- before calculating in wind chill. Brrr. I haven’t been out of the house since last night, and now don’t plan on it before Saturday. My job for tomorrow has already been canceled- with no call. 😐
I remember the flood of ’85 – we had just gotten a doberman mix puppy and kept her in the basement because she wasn’t house trained yet. The basement flooded, and my dad heard her yelping and when he rescued her, the water was up to her chest – she couldn’t climb stairs yet either. He brought her up to bed with him, and that was the end of that – for the next 15 years, she was a large dog who insisted on sleeping on the bed, under the covers!