this is yankee snow

[solarbird]

This is yankee snow, today and tonight; this is the snow of December - or maybe January - in inland New England, at least as I remember it. It's a little difficult to describe how, exactly; it's the way the already-present snow compacts when you walk across it, forming paths as you walk back and forth - not turning to ice, not melting from the pressure of your feet, not becoming more slippery, just becoming more dense. It's the way that same older snow has become more brittle, more set in its shape, until stepped upon.

It's the way the new snow drifts and blows, dryly but not actually dry, at least not yet. It's the way the wind shifts constantly, swirling the flying snow so there is no direction to face to avoid it. It's the way it gets into the soles of your shoes so you walk fine outdoors - once you know how - but have to remember to change your gait when you cross the threshold and go inside, or you'll go sliding right down the hallway.

Of course, we're about, oh, probably half a metre short on accumulation for this time in December, but you can't have everything.

Comments

[kendaer.livejournal.com]

Unsurprisingly, I don't think I'm going to be making it to your guys place for Solstice tonight.. I've been 'hibernating' all day due to the weather :)

[marzipan-pig.livejournal.com]

This is the most snow I've seen in over 20 years!

[solarbird]

1996, University District, 17" in front, 21" in the side yard.

[marzipan-pig.livejournal.com]

Hah! I don't remember it at all. It's possible that I was in Fla if it was around Xmas (or a bit after?) or it may have been in the part of 1995/1996 that I have no memory of.

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

the latter i think.

[solarbird]

it was actually december 96, late, and it was a bit after christmas.

[westrider.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I've been wracking my brain trying to remember whether that was December '96 or '97 that we got that storm.

[llachglin.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I measured 24" in the middle of 15th Ave. during that storm. That's the biggest I've ever seen around here. This is nowhere near that.

As I recall that was late 1996. It was while I was holed up during that storm that I stopped smoking cigarettes.

[ypawtows.livejournal.com]

heh, we moved to WA shortly after that snow storm. :)

This snow, I can drive in, no problem.
The "snow" that usually happens here... much more difficult.

[torquemada.livejournal.com]

In some parts of our yard (helped by the drifts the wind's creating) we've got close to a foot of snow; the only places we have less than 4-5 inches are right next to the lee of the house and under cars/bushes. The snow's WAY wetter than any I've seen in Washington in ten years. I had to go shovel our back deck off before a snow drift overwhelmed our back door. I'm learning how to squint my eyes behind my glasses to still see through the snowflakes landing in my eyes. Our dogs are loving the hell out of running around in it.

This is awesome.

[solarbird]

We were up to 24cm/9.5" on grass in the front yard this evening before it got really dark. It's still snowing pretty hard, too.

[maellenkleth]

Aie, the longest drive on the longest night.

Blizzard overtook the boat; Brechin Hill in Nanaimo was like an Olympic ski jump. Drove okay in the snow at 60 km/hr till Tsable River bridge (km 101) where we hit whiteout and big snowdrifts. Took two hours to go the remaing 16 km home, bucking snowdrifts the whole way.

Hot bath. Good strong tea. Watchlight lit, and will sit up now until the light returns, and make the requisitive observances.

Enjoy the Wensleydale -- it was the last piece they had at Ballinger Thriftway. ^_^

Year's pleasance to thee and thine,

Elane

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

iirc there were a couple big blizzards in 1990, too.

right now, back in new england, i'd say we've got a bit more than a foot on the ground, more on the way. took the dog out in it earlier; depending on the road conditions i may do/teach some riding tomorrow. yay icelandic riding suit :)

[solarbird]

How will you be awake tomorrow? Seriously I am totally wiped the day after. HOW YOU TEACH FOR HORSE?!

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

well, i slept a lot yesterday day, being kinda down with a cold.

unsurprisingly though i still feel kinda bad with the cold today, so maybe no teaching after all. (it's a weird cold, my nose is mostly fine, i just have swollen throat/glands/earaches.)

[solarbird]

Strangely, I have been less wiped than usual (for day-after longestnight) today. Go fig. Maybe I gain SUPERPOWERS from the SNOW! or not. ^_^

[futabachan.livejournal.com]

It's funny that you characterize that as "Yankee" snow. linuxspice grew up in Boston, and the snow there is very different: damp, sticky, icy, and unpleasant. The sort of dry, fluffy quality you describe, I think of as Snow Belt snow, as it's what you get from the Lake Effect in Erie, Rochester, Toronto, and other places I've lived. And the Valley, too, now that you mention it, which is probably why I never thought of the snow at DA as remarkable. (We got less of it, too, than back home.)

[solarbird]

Boston is Boston. You know the joke about Real Yankees, after all. ^_^

[pstratt.livejournal.com]

That's interesting. I thought it was like Eastern Washington snow only a little too warm.

If the temprature stays low enough the constant driving on the snow will wear it away and leave bare, dry pavement wheel tracks and the plows will clear out the higher spots.

The rest will just sit there and "rot" getting dirty and full miscellaneous debris.

[solarbird]

Yeah, come March in western Massachusetts, you get that dirt and debris snow, "rot" as you put it. But it doesn't last all that long because the season is finally changing and so it gets warmer except for the places the plows piled up. Then, of course, everything turns to mud and the river valley floods. ^_^