Snow
Yeah, we’ve got snow, for about the first time in ten years.
When I first moved here, and marveled at the lack of snow, friends would tell me stories along the lines of: “When I was a child, we had snow all the time, and it was so deep it came up to my armpits.”
And I don’t doubt that’s true. I just think their perception is a little skewed.
Along about 2008 or so, we started to get snow, and not the 1 cm kind that put everyone in a tizzy and melted by noon. We often had significant amounts (okay, significant for here) that hung around for a bit. This went on for about four years, and then the snowless winters returned.
As a result, out in the park on Monday morning, there were children as old as 10 or 11 who were seeing snow for the first time, and people aged 18 to 20 might very well—and truthfully—been telling them: “When I was a child, we had snow all the time, and it was so deep it came up to my armpits.”
This snow, though not very big on quantity, is making up for it in longevity. Unlike the other snows I have known, this one is sticking around, and this is because it has been below freezing for a week now, and it isn’t ending any time soon. While this has been a welcome change—in that I can now put on one of my many jumpers and leave it on, instead of finding that the sun has come out and it’s 60 degrees (15.5 Celsius) and, to avoid heatstroke, I need to take it off and put a short-sleeved shirt back on—it’s worrying because I do not want to experience an “upstate New York style” winter after living two decades in a tropical paradise, and the UK has form.
In 1947, there was a winter of apocalyptic proportions, unmatched until 1963, when snow fell and fell and fell and overstayed its welcome and caused havoc for months. And in searching for photos I could steal off the web to illustrate this, I found that 1984 wasn’t a walk in the park, either.
They were, undeniably inconvenient, but in 1947 they were still using horses, and even in 1984, there wasn’t the delicate—and under-maintained—services we have now. Snow of that magnitude and duration would cause more damage to our infrastructure, economy and general health than another five years of Tory rule.
Therefore, I am hoping the promised end of this cold snap will arrive as predicted, and that no additional snow will fall between now and then.
I’m just not cut out for another Upstate Winter.
6 Comments
steve Gillen
Hi there Mike, as you know Paula and I are experiencing a Michigan Winter this year instead of being in the frozen north (of England that is). It was with some trepidation I agreed to us visiting Michigan at this time of year as my wife wanted Thanksgiving and Christmas with her family……..okaaaay….. for those who are not aware a Michigan winter is a thing of awe and somewhat akin, if not harsher (due to lake effect snow etc), than Mike describes of upper New York State.
Well here we are and whilst the temperatures are around freezing point, 32 ish degrees, which sounds overly warm to me until I remember this is not measured in Celsius, there has only been a dusting of snow; rather like and a similar quantity to the icing sugar dust on a jam sponge cake, which in typical British fashion melted away by around lunchtime. Hardly worth putting a coat on.
What is going on? Have we brought our British weather over with us, leaving you guys to explore the joys of a cooler climate? Hmmm, not at all what I expected, my thick gloves and sturdy boots are still in the suitcase here!
In the meantime, wrap up warm, drive carefully and stay safe until it thaws, which, judging by our current experience, will be around the end of the month when we fly back home!
MikeH
Wow. Michigan winters are usually a lot worse then our NYS ones — unless you get that Lake Effect snow 😉 Enjoy the nice weather while you can.
Ted Ropple
You have more snow than here in northern Vermont at the moment, although they are forecasting a dreaded “Nor’easter” for this weekend.
But this morning on the way to work the temperature was 9F/ -13C!
MikeH
Keep warm, and stock up.
Nicky Huskinson
‘Tropical paradise’ 🤣🤣🤣 – it’s all relative I guess!
The weather was one reason I left the UK, for sure. I refuse to live anywhere cold ever again!
Though it’s not so much the temperatures in Britain, it’s the lack of sun and the endless greyness that got me down.
I have a photo from Wales in 1981 of my mum’s car covered in snow. You can only see the roof. I had a week off school as we couldn’t go anywhere.
I’m perfectly happy to see snow capped mountains in the distance, but that’s it, thank you.
MikeH
Yes, from a distance is the best way to see snow.
As for British Weather, as Bill Bryson says, it’s like living inside of Tupperware.