Snowpocalypse – Round Two…

The winter of 1898-99 – that’s the last time the area saw this much snow.  54.4″ was the talley then – as of 1800 EDT today, we had accumulated 55.4″ (with more still falling) at the official NWS measurement site at Reagan National.  Out here in the rural part of the area we had something more than that.

Add in that, unlike the previous three storms this winter, today’s storm brought some pretty major winds with it.  We recorded several gusts over 60knots here in Bristow and down along the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Coasts there are some pretty significant waves coming ashore.  On a recce walk earlier today ran into waist deep drifts and visibility in the neighborhood of 5-10 feet in heavy blowing snow.

Just enough to bring back childhood memories of home.

Right.

In all seriousness, there is a cost to this series of storms.  Across the area power and  plow truck crews have been working 12 on/12 off since Friday and fatigue is beginning to show (this morning a second plow truck struck a freeway overpass with its bed lifted), states are running out of money (Maryland exhausted its snow removal funds before last week’s storm), the Federal government has been closed (and while there may be a sense of relief it is costing us, the taxpayers, $100M per day) and building collapses are becoming more common (including part of the Garber facility for the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum – reportedly none of the artifacts inside were damaged).  A look at a grove of pines near our house when the snow-veil lifted showed over half bent to the ground, bearing their burden of snow and ice.  Sharp cracks that made their way through the howl of the wind gave testimony that another pine tree had reached its maximum load bearing capacity.

And you want irony?  While *we* are digging out (again) from the snowiest winter on record, out in Vancouver, they are having to bring in or make snow for the Winter Olympics.

In the meantime, the wind just picked up strength blowing a bird into the study’s window (it’s ok – shook itself off and took off again).

And it’s snowing – again.

But Beethoven’s 7th is on the player, the fireplace is roaring and the pooch is curled up at our feet.  A good book is at hand too – so it’s off to bunker down for another winter’s eve as the wind howls away outside…