A Brutal January

January 24, 2011 — This month of January has been brutal. After three good-sized snowstorms in eight days, the temperature dropped to 17 below last night. It was 4 below when I left for my dentist appointment at 11, but with no wind and a bright sun, it didn't feel all that bad, as long as you didn't stay out in it too long. The city is buried in mountains of snow. Where it's been so cold, the snow has remained pristine and white.

I was hoping for a few days rest before the next storm, predicted for two days from now, but I had to go out and shovel a path to my natural gas unit on the side of the house this afternoon after the gas company notified me they'd come by tomorrow morning to install a ground which should have been done when they first installed the unit a year ago. The temperature was about 8 above while I was shoveling.

It's now 10:30 in the evening, and the temperature is 3 below 0. They predict higher temperatures tomorrow, in the 20s. That's not exactly balmy, but at least you won't be risking hypothermia if you stay out more than 10 minutes.

Nor'easter Hits the Region

January 13, 2011 — Yesterday's storm was predicted, and they said it was going to be a blockbuster, so I wasn't surprised when I got up in the morning to find it snowing heavily and about a foot already on the ground. Shortly after I got up, my dentist's office called to reschedule the appointment I had for that morning. I was wondering if my appointment for car service this morning would also be postponed.

I waited until early afternoon before I started shoveling out, slowly with frequent breaks. Later on, a kind neighbor came over and helped me shovel through the snow bank thrown up by the street plow in front of my driveway. It continued to snow lightly after we finished, so I was resigned to the fact I'd have to go out one more time to clean up a few more inches. Later in the evening, I cleared about an additional two inches. The final official total accumulation for the city was 18.5 inches. It looked like I'd have no problem getting to the dealer for my car service.

This morning I dropped the car off at the the dealer's and picked up a loaner car. The sun was shining, the snow was beautiful, but I was amazed at the huge snow banks left by plows, snowblowers and shovelers, piles that would take three or four storms to reach these heights in an average winter.