2018 Begins With Record Storm

January 6, 2018 — Early forecasts called for "snow showers" in New Hampshire on Thursday, January 4. What we got was a nor'easter with a foot of blowing, drifting snow and wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour. Those are pretty impressive "showers." The storm was officially declared a blizzard on the coast, where wind and an astronomical high tide produced flooding. All this came during a stretch of weather that tied a 100-year-old record for cold and duration.

Farther south on the Massachusetts coast, the storm was even more severe, with snow depths well over a foot and devastating flooding in some areas. The city of Boston was brought to a standstill. The storm, officially named Grayson, also earned such descriptive names as "Bomb Cyclone" and "Bombogenesis." Record low temperatures and snow extended into the south all the way to northern Florida.

I shoveled out twice, once during the storm and again when snow ended, but had to do a little more Friday when drifting snow filled in areas I had shoveled before. It was still very windy Friday and I was wondering how much longer this relentless, punishing wind could go on before something gave way and the power went out. Fortunately, that never happened.

This morning (Saturday) temperature was 1 degree. Wind chill in most of New Hampshire was around 20 below. Tomorrow is forecast to be the coldest yet, with actual temperature below 0 and wind chill 30 below in  some areas. Later Sunday the cold is finally supposed to ease, with temperature in the 40s later in the week.