That was the winter week that was.
What a weather week we've had.
Last Sunday night the Weather Service issued an ice storm warning for the next day, and this time they were right. We awoke Monday to our world under glass. It had rained hard all night, with temps just a degree or two below freezing, and a few hours before dawn the temps plunged. You had to chisel your way into your vehicle, and getting ½" of ice off the windows and mirrors without breaking the glass was almost impossible. Wipers were frozen in place, and a lot of people left home with just a peephole in the icy windshield and trusted the defrosters to attempt the job. Getting to work entailed detouring around the police cars guarding old century trees and power lines that had fallen across roads all over the region.
During the ice storm warnings, they also issued a warning that they might issue a snow storm warning later in the day, and sho'nuff, they did. Around 2pm it started snowing. And snowing. And snowing harder for the afternoon drive. This all would have been kinda interesting, if my job that day hadn't been 60 miles away from home. It went right past interesting to annoying, scary. and dangerous. What was normally about an hour drive each way turned into just over two hours each way.
Midweek we got a quick one-day thaw to release our driveways, gutters, sidewalks, shrubbery, and parking lots from the grip of winter. We were all pretty proud of ourselves, being able to walk on our sidewalks upright without holding on to walls, fences, or other people, while dodging ice falling from trees, signs and buildings. But,
Thursday brought another storm warning...big snow on the way, along with high winds and drifting--just in time for the Friday morning commute. It started snowing heavily around 3am, and we were woken up by the wind whipping the snow against the windows. Well over an inch an hour was falling, and by morning rush hour the roads were a nightmare. Hundreds of schools and colleges closed. Gridlock all over the region made 20 minute drives into 1½ hours and one hour drives into three. We were told to get off and stay off of the roads. Power was knocked out in some towns. Snowplows slid into ditches and citizens helped push cop cars out of drifts. AJ and I spent the morning in the house, and when the snow slowed down around 2pm, we started digging out the foot of snow so we could get to work the next day.
We were promised warmer temps on Sunday...and we got them. Up into the 40s, and the snow started melting. Melting fast. Sunday night we were awakened by thunderstorms and pounding rain, which helped the snow to dissolve even faster. The new morning adventure Monday morning was flooded streets, along with a tornado watch. Flooded farm fields overflowing roads, creeks and rivers out of their banks and over roads, ponds extending over roads, and highway ramps under water. And tonight it's going back down into the upper teens. Gonna be another interesting morning. It’s been a really tough week around here, and it would really be cool to see the sun, if it still exists.
Here’s some scenes from the park near my house...first the way it usually looks, then the same scene this afternoon. Usually a peaceful waterfall over a 4-foot high dam, the roar of the water and ice raging through town today could be heard for quite a distance (click to enlarge):
Last Sunday night the Weather Service issued an ice storm warning for the next day, and this time they were right. We awoke Monday to our world under glass. It had rained hard all night, with temps just a degree or two below freezing, and a few hours before dawn the temps plunged. You had to chisel your way into your vehicle, and getting ½" of ice off the windows and mirrors without breaking the glass was almost impossible. Wipers were frozen in place, and a lot of people left home with just a peephole in the icy windshield and trusted the defrosters to attempt the job. Getting to work entailed detouring around the police cars guarding old century trees and power lines that had fallen across roads all over the region.
During the ice storm warnings, they also issued a warning that they might issue a snow storm warning later in the day, and sho'nuff, they did. Around 2pm it started snowing. And snowing. And snowing harder for the afternoon drive. This all would have been kinda interesting, if my job that day hadn't been 60 miles away from home. It went right past interesting to annoying, scary. and dangerous. What was normally about an hour drive each way turned into just over two hours each way.
Midweek we got a quick one-day thaw to release our driveways, gutters, sidewalks, shrubbery, and parking lots from the grip of winter. We were all pretty proud of ourselves, being able to walk on our sidewalks upright without holding on to walls, fences, or other people, while dodging ice falling from trees, signs and buildings. But,
Thursday brought another storm warning...big snow on the way, along with high winds and drifting--just in time for the Friday morning commute. It started snowing heavily around 3am, and we were woken up by the wind whipping the snow against the windows. Well over an inch an hour was falling, and by morning rush hour the roads were a nightmare. Hundreds of schools and colleges closed. Gridlock all over the region made 20 minute drives into 1½ hours and one hour drives into three. We were told to get off and stay off of the roads. Power was knocked out in some towns. Snowplows slid into ditches and citizens helped push cop cars out of drifts. AJ and I spent the morning in the house, and when the snow slowed down around 2pm, we started digging out the foot of snow so we could get to work the next day.
We were promised warmer temps on Sunday...and we got them. Up into the 40s, and the snow started melting. Melting fast. Sunday night we were awakened by thunderstorms and pounding rain, which helped the snow to dissolve even faster. The new morning adventure Monday morning was flooded streets, along with a tornado watch. Flooded farm fields overflowing roads, creeks and rivers out of their banks and over roads, ponds extending over roads, and highway ramps under water. And tonight it's going back down into the upper teens. Gonna be another interesting morning. It’s been a really tough week around here, and it would really be cool to see the sun, if it still exists.
Here’s some scenes from the park near my house...first the way it usually looks, then the same scene this afternoon. Usually a peaceful waterfall over a 4-foot high dam, the roar of the water and ice raging through town today could be heard for quite a distance (click to enlarge):