◆ a storm with dry, driving snow, strong winds, and intense cold.
◆ a heavy and prolonged snowstorm covering a wide area.
There was a big one last night. It has been quite awhile since I’ve experienced one. I believe the last one was here too, on the High Planes about a decade ago. We came up for a funeral and there was a blizzard. All the roads stayed closed for almost a week and we were trapped here. Both of our bosses had a hard time believing there actually could be such an event that stopped commerce and shut down transportation across an area that large, for that long. This one wasn’t that bad. The sun came out by about 13:00 and it warmed enough to get all the roads cleared off much quicker than a decade ago.
We got out early in the Jeep before the county and city started plowing. It was still on the edge of darkness and most of the streets were still white and pristine, without tracks. The state highway was cleared off and we took that but it was still quite a mess. The snow was close to a foot deep in the road but it’s impossible to tell how much snow had fallen. On the High Planes, the wind is always blowing and the snow does not lay flat. Giant drifts and areas blown completely clear is how the snow usually ends up.
Who doesn’t Love a Good Blizzard?
I appreciate a good blizzard as much as the next person. The drifts from this one will likely be around until Spring. I call them High Planes Glaciers. They slowly melt, providing sustenance for all the new green shoots of Spring. The farmers hope and pray for this kind of a storm to provide moisture for the winter wheat. I had to break out a pair of gaiters, the snow was so deep. I cannot remember the last time I had a pair of gaiters on, decades I suppose. Back in the good old days I was a Doodlebugger, exploring the mountain west, searching for oil. Snow was a part of everyday life. When I wasn’t snowshoeing through it at work, I was skiing on it for play. I was in my 20’s though, not my 60’s.
The Tractor Patrol
The nice thing about this Blizzard; I did not have anyplace to be or really anything all that important to do. I could shovel the walks if I wanted to, I did. Drive around in the Jeep taking pictures, did that too. I could take the dogs for a walk and watch them hop over drifts and wade through the snow. Decided no on that one, for now, they can play in the yard. A Blizzard is still not all that enjoyable even if you have nothing to do. The wind howls like a hungry wolf and the blowing snow will blind you if you don’t have goggles. Snow in sheets, fierce winds and cold, hmm.
Once the sun came out, everything changed. The streets and sidewalks filled with the Tractor Patrol. Everyone that had a tractor or truck with a snow blade was out making sure the roads were cleared. First the business parking lots, then the church parking lots. Then all the Blizzard Angels went around checking all the old and infirm to make sure their walks were clear and any needs were taken care of. So in the face of a cold and cruel blizzard, the community steps up. The caring face of Love, pushes back on the blizzard of mid-winter. The sun glints off the snow as it settles in, the loving embrace of Spring is just around the corner.