Cracks me up the way the folks on The Weather Channel have to "brand" big storms. They can't just call a snow storm a snow storm ... nope, it's got to have a proper name. In Capital Letters.
The year that I returned from living in Australia it was The Blizzard of '96. Last year's dumping of about 11 inches was The Winter Wallop. (love that alliteration!) This storm - I guess because it started Saturday night and didn't finish up until mid-day Sunday - was The Weekend Whiteout. (i figured some clever someone would hop to it and start selling t-shirts on cafe press with 'i survived the weekend whiteout' ... so i went to the site and typed in 'snow storm' and sure enough, someone had. well, sort of*) (*so much for the weather channel's branding success this time!)
The other thing that cracks me up about these storms is the pre-storm shopping frenzy. 36 hours before a predicted snow storm, the masses are out at the grocery stores wildly pulling every last jug of milk, loaf of bread and dozen eggs off the shelves as though they'll be stranded for weeks ... as if they don't have food in their houses that could hold them over for 24 hours while the roads get plowed.
And god forbid you have to pick up a few incidentals like I did.
Yep, I had writing group on Saturday and I needed to pick up some fruit and cream cheese for the spread I put out for my fabulous writer peoples. And I guess I could have picked it up on Thursday, but I had plans that evening and couldn't bring myself to go to the grocery store on my way home blahblahblah. (that'll teach me ...)
So there I was on Friday night with the rest of the masses ... negotiating the too full isles and the frenzied shoppers to get my pineapple, strawberries and cream cheese.
As I stood in the express check-out line (not feelin' the love for the guy in front of me with way more than 12 items) I found myself wondering how many heart attacks happen right after blizzards ... not because of the exertion of snow shoveling, but because people seem to use snow storms as an excuse to eat whatever crap they want. The guy in front of me looked like he was preparing for a Super Bowl feeding frenzy redux.
OK, enough with my judgmental bitch attitude.
So ... however dorky I think the 'branding' of storms is, and however judgmental I get about the insanity of the pre-storm shopping/feeding frenzy, there is something amazing and worthy of all the drama when a storm is like this one. Calling it a whiteout might've be going just a wee overboard, but it was substantial. (the substantial snowstorm of '06 just doesn't have that repeatable ring though, does it?)
As I've said (skillions of times) winter is not my favorite season. But if I'm going to live in the northeast and muddle through cold and gray winters (and i will, because i'll never convince the members of my family [and their families] to move to northern california ...) (and too damn bad about that ... but that's a story for another day), then give me Wallop's and Blizzard's and Whiteout's (oh my) every now and then.
Cause even though I am certainly no fan of the winter and the cold, I actually love those unequivocal snow storms ... the kind of where you can't fight it if you wanted to; you have no choice but to give in - hunker down, slow down and watch it unfold around you.
This one started Saturday, around 3 - about an hour after the fabulous writing group babes had left the house. As I straightened up, lots of little flakes were floating down, but they weren't sticking yet. The National Weather Service had predicted a steady fall, but said that the serious stuff wouldn't kick in until around midnight. And they were right.
Here's a shot out back around 4:30
And then a few shots from right before bed around 11. This shot was taken out front: 
And then, this one out back (notice the bird feeder on the left looking a bit blanketed ...)
And then, I woke up to this:
I stayed in most of the day (except for unearthing my car, shoveling the driveway and putting out more bird seed) ... lounging my PJ's, cozy robe and slippers. I wrote a little, cooked a little, puttered a lot, and watched the birdies on the feeders.
Whiteout, Wallop, whatever ... a snowfall by any other name would still keep me bundled up and enjoying the quiet vibe of all that whiteness. I'd much prefer temps in the 70's year round, but if it's gonna be cold, I say: let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
(but how many days until spring?)
I'm another one in the hate-winter-but-can-be-ok-with-snowstorms camp. I'll tell you that I complain a lot less now that we have a snowblower.
I'm also for moving to a warmer place. Just tell me, I'll go.
Sorry Deb for being a deliquent commentor. I'm gonna change the error of my ways. Thanks for sticking it out and keeping going.
Posted by: Will | February 21, 2006 at 02:26 PM
Hey Deb! WOW, that is some snow! Hate to tell you this...but while you were having your whiteout, we were having record highs (in the low 70's)...but just so you won't feel bad...the temps dropped quickly...last I heard the snow level was down to about 1,000 feet...so it's chilly even here. (And yeah, I can hear you getting out your violin for your poor Northern California pals...) ;)
Posted by: Marilyn | February 19, 2006 at 12:06 AM
Really ... I can't believe that snowball on eBay!
I hadn't heard the 'Weekend Whiteout' tag. The one I heard was 'The Blizzard of '06,' which leaves me wondering ... what if we get an even bigger one than this one ... which you *know* is still within the realm of possibility. What will they call that one now that they've used up 'blizzard' for the year?
As you know, I'm not a fan of winter or snow, but like you, I figure if it's gonna snow, it might as well snow a LOT, because that's when it looks really pretty, and when it feels good to hunker down and get cozy with some hot chocolate, a fire, and a good blog or two.
Posted by: maria | February 15, 2006 at 05:24 PM
How about this!?! Snowball from said storm on EBAY. Give me a break.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Authentic-snowball-from-2006-New-York-City-Blizzard_W0QQitemZ5667216062QQcategoryZ1467QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Nice photos of the snow!
Posted by: Tom | February 15, 2006 at 10:51 AM
lol, yeah, the fiansor and i were laughing about how the weather people were so hyped up about the storm. i mean, come on, it's new england people, it snows here, no need to name it!
oh man, i've wished i could convince my entire family to move to a warmer locale too, but it's not happening. my favorite part about the winter though are those days like sunday where i just had to stay in and cozy up and watch movies all day. love it.
Posted by: kat | February 14, 2006 at 12:35 PM
But that snow look so pretty! Remind me to mail you some nice pictures of us cross-country skiing on the lake. Its no mean feat when the 46 km Ammersee freezes over....that means its been cold here for like, forever!
MB
Posted by: MB | February 14, 2006 at 07:53 AM