In between the blizzards.

[rivka]

We had above-freezing temperatures and sun for a while today, and some of the snow melted. But they're still predicting 10-20 inches of snow starting late this afternoon, as well as "near-blizzard conditions." A few light flakes have started to fall. The public schools have just given up and closed for the rest of the week. My university was closed yesterday and today - I can't think of any other time that's ever happened. I expect that it will close tomorrow as well. And Michael's office will be closed tomorrow, which his boss said has never happened because of weather before.

I took the kids out today, cautiously picking my way through the snowdrifts with Colin in a front carrier. We went back to the neighborhood grocery to see if the milk truck had arrived (nope) and hit the art store for some emergency keeping-Alex-busy supplies. She's doing remarkably well with being cooped up, poor kid. To help keep us pleasantly occupied we're doing some advance homeschooling, which you can follow on my other blog if you wish.

I have never experienced weather like this in my life. And I've lived in both upstate New York and Iowa.

Comments

[ailbhe]

Glad you're all ok. I've been following your other blog with interest :)

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I've been following your other blog with interest :)

And secret scorn because we're not unschoolers? ;-)

[ailbhe]

No, envy that you have a directable child who shares what she learns with you so you have some idea of what's going on in her head at least some of the time. I get really really stressed about that, in fact.

[lyrical1.livejournal.com]

I've experienced weather like this before, I've just lived in places that know how to deal with it. We STILL haven't seen city services of any kind for snow removal. I know that the priority re-sets with the new storm, so I am expecting to stay put until at least Friday.

[matthewwdaly.livejournal.com]

I've lived in Rochester nearly all my life, and this new storm would be enough to dramatically affect our quality of life even inside the city limits. The first 30" falling 3" per hour would have been a nice challenge in and of itself, but another big dump when the sides of the roads are already packed in would be time for a state of emergency. It's the time when you get to know your neighbors, especially the ones with the cross-country skis who can make it to the grocery two blocks away.

[kazoogrrl.livejournal.com]

I remember the winter of, I think, 1994-95. I was at Howard Community College, and they had to shut down for lack of parking due to snowstorms and then ice storms. Early 1996 was the big one that had me snowed into a friends house (with a dozen other people) after my 21st birthday party, and I remember a good portion of the winter being snowy and cold, and in particular climbing the packed drift of snow up the front steps of my SO's house because why would a bunch of 21 year olds own a snow shovel? ;)

[geekchick]

Apparently,the Dulles measurements put us second only to Syracuse in snowfall this season, squeaking in just above Rochester, and Baltimore at #6. http://goldensnowglobe.com/all-snowiest-us-cities/ The Dulles numbers are much higher than the official DC measurements taken at DCA, but hey, I live much closer to Dulles than to National.

[lisajulie.livejournal.com]

Put in here a sturdy "me, too!"

This is the most extreme back-to-back set of snows I can remember (and I moved here in 1984).

The only single event that I can remember that tops this (n terms of sheer inconvenience) was the 17cm of _frozen rain pellets_ that fell in 1994. IIRC.

[suzilem.livejournal.com]

where in Upstate? I'm from about halfway between Niagara Falls and Rochester

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I think we have had this conversation before. ;-) I grew up in Elmira.

[suzilem.livejournal.com]

I'm sure we have too. May I plead an aging brain? :-)

p.s. I love reading these snippets of your life.

[lerryn.livejournal.com]

OK, I used to think 2008-2009 winter in the Seattle area was bad because I couldn't drive out of my apartment complex for a week, but now I see the difference. Last year if I really needed to I could have made it to the store with my hiking boots and snow coat and been confident I could find food to buy.

[chargirlgenius.livejournal.com]

Interesting, I kept imagining that being in the city would be ideal, able to walk everywhere. Now I don't feel so terrible. :-) Part of what makes me a bit wistful is that the boys are too young to really remember this forever (or play outside on their own for hours on end), and that they're unlikely to ever have this much snow again!

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I do think being in the city is much less isolating than in the country. When we go out and slip and slide our way along the street, we run into our neighbors and talk to them. But yeah, it's not as easy to get around as all that.

The store did finally get a truck through, so we were able to restock on milk before the second storm hit.