I actually believed we would have it easy

/ January 20, 2016

Perception is reality, they say.

They are right. Dagnabbit.

In December, I was lulled into actually believing we might be in for an easy winter here in Syracuse, N.Y.

That was way back when it was an average of 10, 15, 20 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than our usual blustery cold in the Northeast of the United States, and with so very little snow fallen.

Three weeks ago.

Now I’m looking for new morning ways to capture the white stuff with my iPhone 6 or iPad Air to best present how much fell while my dear wife Karen, Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle and I were sleeping in our Little Bitty in the Syracuse city neighborhood of Eastwood.

Cross over to the fluffy side.

Cross over to the fluffy side.

Yesterday before I let our pooch out for her a.m. relief, I went back inside to grab the iPad because I decided the just-past-dawn porch lighting caught the snow that had built up on the top step in an interesting way.

Shake it off, Sanitation Engineers.

Shake it off, Sanitation Engineers.

Then before I cleared our cars and the driveway so Karen could take off for her drive downtown to work at SMG, I pulled the iPad out again for a shot of the garbage can and recycling bins I’d set out the night prior for collection.

Yes, the Lake Effect snow has hit us hard the last two days.

Big spike in the snowfall graph. (From The Syracuse Post-Standard)

Big spike in the snowfall graph. (From The Syracuse Post-Standard)

The big daily snow chart from the Tuesday morning paper says we’ve now had 30.4 inches of snow in Syracuse. The ’15-’16 red line was hardly above zero at the start of this month.

Lookin' out my side window.

Lookin’ out my side window.

Our normal winter brings 124.5 inches. So now I feel like we’re really in for some snowy weeks ahead, I write this after I just took the photo above from our living room window.

What type of season have you had so far this January? Would you prefer a few inches of snow a week spread throughout the winter, or all of it to come in a couple of big storms, and why? Which is your favorite photo, and why?

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56 thoughts on “I actually believed we would have it easy”

  1. Our first winter snow for the season left three inches last night. We are under a new winter storm watch for the next couple of days. It’s pretty and hasn’t posed too much danger this go round. I won’t miss it when it’s gone though. We need the water, however we can get it. Will be curious to see what our next watch brings us tomorrow.

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  2. I am remembering from childhood always wanting LOTS I loved it deep, so that we could dig snow caves into the piles left by the snowplows, and so that we could build forts and have snowball fights. And this from the girl who got cold in moments, and had to keep running inside the house for new mittens and socks when her sisters and friends were still playing happily outside! Weird.

    Now, I don’t want to see it ANY depth for any days. But I will, Mark. If I can ever get this place finished and sold, a-wintering I will go, oh ho! For that is where my money will buy, I cry….
    😥

    Oh, give me a home,
    Where I live all alone,
    With no shared walls,
    Or bumps in the night….
    With no traffic nearby…
    Nor the airplanes up high…
    And green trees all around me in sight.

    Home, home, once again,
    In my own little house, I’ll be free,
    With a bunnykins wee,
    Running free, just like me…
    There’ll be music–I’ll choose it–just me.

    But there’s also be some ding-danged snow! And mosqui-toes! I will seriously not enjoy those o-words, Mark. Remind me I do not get to complain, once I’ve made the move. Gol-dangit.

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  3. i always love your snow pics, mark, they really give a feel for what it it like. heard the east is in for a major storm soon – does that include you? i love a couple of big storms a year, and this year, has been quite mild here so far –

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    • So far, they say the Big One will stay south of Syracuse. Gosh, I hope so, Beth.

      May you get at least one for yourself in Ann Arbor before the winter is over, my friend.

      I’m glad to share with my photos before that happens. ❤

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  4. Love the photo of the deck before Ellie B. went outside. We had our first dusting of snow two weeks ago. Then the atmosphere became depressed and the rains started again. I would rather have the rain than 124 inches of snow. Be stalwart my friend and good luck with that shovel.

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  8. It’s been kind of chilly for L.A. this January but we’re headed for a warm up. I know when I was in NY I preferred a bit at a time. That way it would just be pretty and then go away before becoming icy and hazardous or slushy and dirty.

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  9. love the last photo Mark – looks so peaceful. Sorry though that you and Karen can’t just hibernate at home. So far we have had a few flakes and some frost. I love frost – it was beautiful here today. But as you know I hate snow if I have to drive anywhere.

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    • You are smart to stay in if you can, Rachel, instead of driving in London snow. The more cars, the more potential problems. Yes, watching from inside, though, it can seem very peaceful, I agree, my great friend.

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  10. Ya’ll sure do get a lot of snow there Mark. It has been a harder winter for us in the southwest. It snowed last night but looks like only 1/4″ – 1/2″ – which isn’t bad, but still have to sweep it off the porches and cars. I am so ready for spring!!

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  11. Well, let’s put it this way. I learned yesterday that yes, even with AWD and ABS, if you drive onto a patch of ice covered by snow, your vehicle will slide. Fortunately, I was only going 10 mph out of a parking lot and was able to correct before hitting the curb or someone else.

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  12. It finally feels like winter here, and I’m no longer creeped-out by the warm weather, so I try not to complain. Even if that wind bit my cold wet finger this morning when I cleaned off Bonnie Blue.
    More snow comin this way off and on for a week. Usually our street is a skating rink all winter, so it’s still odd. Nice, but odd.

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  14. We are being forecast for a foot of snow this weekend. Rumor is we may leave work early Friday and not come back until Tuesday.

    I am going to say bring it on, as long as the following weekend I can actually get my move completed :/

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  15. Well, dagnabit! That’s a lot of snow. I’m still waiting for mine to come…It’s freezing frost monkeys over here, but no snow in sight!

    To answer your question, i’d prefer the snow to come all at once… get it over and done with. It’s fun for all of one day :-/

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  18. Earlier in the week they predicted over a foot of snow for our Zone on the weather map. Now it’s been downgraded because even with all those meteorological instruments the weatherman can be wrong, because you can’t REALLY predict it all.

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  20. We had our first taste of snow on Sunday. It was pretty and only covered the lawns and cars. We’re expecting a big snowstorm this weekend, but it’s difficult to know now how much–we might have ice and snow here in the Philadelphia area. Yuck!

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