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That’s a Lot of Snow

It’s hard to think about blogging when you’re in the middle of a historic snow event. Snowpocalypse! Or as some might say, Snowpocalypse II: Electric Boogaloo. We had two feet in Northern Virginia and spent a lot of the weekend digging out. Schools and the government are closed today, I’m betting on school closed tomorrow, and then another storm comes in on Tuesday afternoon! Craziness.

For those who scoff at our snow totals, you have to understand that the DC Metro area is simply not equipped to handle this amount of snow. While we have no lack of clueless drivers to block the roads, what we don’t have is a good number of snow plows. In fact, in Virginia the residential neighborhoods are contracted out to guys with trucks and a plow stuck on. Not a bad solution for our general six-inch snowfalls, but useless against twenty-four inches of untouched snow, as we noticed yesterday on our own street.

Also let me express annoyance with our general area, in that the official snow totals for Washington, DC, are measured at Reagan National Airport. First of all, the airport is not in the District. It’s in Arlington, across the Potomac. Second, being on the river reduces the snow that accumulates there, so we always get a lower number than practically anywhere else. This area is already often accused of overreacting, and could at least use better supporting statistics than the 17.8 inches recorded at National Airport.

Today we’re hoping for some melting on the streets and our poor fir trees, which look rather bendy. Our white cat is avoiding us now, because she can’t help going outside — in case it’s gotten better out there — which means that we can’t help putting her in the snow, because it’s funny. (Oh c’mon, you’d do it too.) And while I avoided tackling clutter to shovel snow, I now at least need do some laundry and clear a path through the tossed-off snow clothes.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

We were in DC after the last snowstorm you guys had in December and I couldn't believe how, 3 days later the streets were still a mess. But, if it makes it any better, it is even WORSE here in Atlanta, we get a dusting and school is closed, which, my Massachusetts family has a field day making fun of! Have fun!

Jennifer said...

I grew up in central Texas and EVERYTHING closed down if there was a dusting of snow or ice. But tornadoes, torrential rainstorms, etc....no big deal. Now I live in Wisconsin and I'm greedy.I want more snow! More snow!

Jennie said...

Heck, I live less than a mile from DCA, on the Arlington side, and I have a lot more snow than 17.8 in my backyard! I think their official measuring station is under a roof!

Tasha said...

Two feet is a lot of snow for anyone! Even here in Wisconsin where we have plenty of plows and salt, schools close for 2 feet of snow.

Not fun at all, though it is pretty.

Tammy said...

You are getting the snow that we in the Rockie Mountains are not getting! We have all the snow plows and no snow to plow it with...where is the justice in that? Hope your kids enjoy the snow days! :)

Abby said...

Bundle up and be careful (and have fun!). I can totally sympathize about being in an area not equipped to deal with snow. I moved from Chicago (where we got a lot of snow but had the plows and salt to deal with it) back down to Louisville and I'm still getting used to the fact that 2 inches of snow can close the schools. We simply don't have the resources (especially in S. Indiana which is comprised of smaller towns) to get the roads clear!

They're predicting 4-6 inches tomorrow and I'd bet a million dollars that school will be closed in my county. (If only the library would be closed, too! But that may be too much to hope for...)

Jenny said...

They've gone ahead and closed the schools for tomorrow and Wednesday now here. I'll actually be surprised if we manage to get back to school this week. As a first grade teacher and mother of a 6 year old and a 3 year old, I can't decide what I want. That many days at home, mostly stuck inside, may make us all insane. But being at school, stuck inside with a class of first graders is no picnic either.

madelyn said...

I agree with Jennie -- somebody needs to go out to DCA and recalibrate their yard sticks! Stay warm!

Michelle said...

I'm so over it! I lost power for almost 2 days and it was not even remotely fun! I was glad to finally get out of the house today for more than an hour. One good thing about all this is that it's so cold right now that 50 degrees will fell positively hellacious when/if we finally get there.

Glad you're in good spirits and hope the snow plow finally dug y'all out!