snowy february

snowy february

in the end, we’re supposed to get between 12-16″ of snow here in st cloud. i don’t think i have ever been witness to that much snow on the ground before.
oh, kate, what about the big halloween blizzard of ’91?
oh, but i wasn’t privy to all that snow. see, in ’91, i lived in austin, and while the top 90% of minnesota got a dump of heavy white stuff on their lawns that night, we got 3″ of ice.
i remember trick or treating that night, all bundled up in coats and mittens as we went to limited houses and knocked for candy. my dad normally drove my siblings and me up to our aunt and uncle’s house a mile and a half north of us to trick or treat there and across the street as well, and as we drove back, we were hit with rain. we were far enough south that the temperature hovered around 32-33 degrees that night, then suddenly plummeted to below freezing while the rain fell from clouds that were still above freezing.
the next morning, i remember waking up and looking out the window at the icy front yard. we had two cone-shaped conifers (the actual name of the tree escapes me, but it looks like something you’d see in a nice landscaped yard) that were literally bent into four parts from all the weight of the ice. the driveway was glare, the electricity was out, and it was the perfect time for my father to decide to drive into town to see where all the damage was.
needless to say, we were out of power for four days. the most snow i remember having fallen while growing up from a snow storm that maybe brought 8″. nothing huge.
my grandpa, who lived in roseau in the northwestern corner of the state and later in st. cloud, often said that we lived in the “banana belt” down there in austin. and i think he was right. when my family moved to spicer, i noticed more snow and more storms.
but i think this will be the biggest one i’ve seen yet, and for a minnesotan, that’s pretty sad.
it will soon be gone, however, and i wish all this snow would have come in december. i’ve often said, the only reason i put up with the freezing cold is for snow on christmas. this storm would have been more than welcome december 19.
soon it will melt, once we get into late march (which is just around the corner), and during late april i will welcome the warming temps and chirping bugs and frogs and late-evening drives to feel warm air on my face. the sun will stay out longer, thanks to daylight savings time and a lovely tilt toward the sun, and soon it will be spring-into summertime, which is always the season i most welcome (not my favorite, that is fall, but the most welcome after long months of below-freezing temps) and the season i forget that i miss.
but for now it will snow, long and hard overnight and into tomorrow and tomorrow night. the plows will come and make our lives easier for driving and getting to places of commerce, and by monday morning we will be able to get to our places of work and work our 8-hour shifts. but for now, i will be content to stay where i am – in my warm apartment with a cup of tea and a book, and let the snow fall.

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