That Was a Cold One

During the time we've lived in this fine state there have been some pretty intense weather. That's to say nothing of the close calls we've seen from tornadoes.  That is to speak only of the winters We moved here from out west.  There was one winter, when we were living in our second home after we got married.  It was a little house, a rental, in a mountain valley that got some pretty heavy snow fall from time to time.  This one storm it was also cold and real windy.  We got up one morning and the wind had blown a neat, very straight little line of snow six or eight feet into the room from the front door.  That was the most memorable storm for me before moving here.  Since moving here we've seen cold and heavy snow fall more than we ever saw any place else we've ever lived.  But the storm we just went through takes the cake.

This week began with the biggest snow fall of the winter, so far.  That was Sunday and Monday. When it ended on Monday, the 28th, we had gotten about ten inches here at the house.  The dog struggled to get outside so we dug out a path to the foot of the stairs off the deck.

That much snow is a big one, a major storm for around here, but not the biggest we've ever gotten.  What made this one memorable was that after the snow stopped and the clouds cleared off, it got cold.  It's when the clouds clear off that it gets really cold.  But this time it got really cold.

On the evening of the 28th, at about 7:00 pm, the temperature went below zero.  And stayed there.

On the 30th we had a doctor appointment about 35 miles away we had to go to.  When we left that  morning it was -27 and the wind was blowing.  Hard.  My favorite weather app said wind-chills were down to -63.  That is very cold.

The car struggled, but it did start.  We made it to the appointment and back without incident but it took several miles longer than normal for the interior of the car to get warm.

The coldest it got was on the 29th when the official temperature reached -29.  I had to go to work but Brombeere, who is a teacher, got most of the week off because the snow and cold closed most of the schools in the whole state.  Not only were the schools closed but quite a number of business closed as well.  Our trash pick-up service was suspended which was just as well because we had elected not to put our trash out anyway.  It was just too cold to be outside that long.  I felt bad for those that had to be out in it.

In all the years I've been going in and out of this door at work I've never seen frost build up on the doors like this.  The temperature stayed below zero until about 10:10 am today, February 1st.

Anyway, that was four very cold days. The coldest I've seen since we moved here. I can't imagine living some place where its cold like that all the time. But we were blessed. Our furnace worked and kept up with it all the way through.  And our cars started every time we needed them to.  I'm just glad its over.  Right now it's 9 degrees, way better than -29.  Thirty degrees better.  And tomorrow its predicted to reach 35.  I like that, after all that cold.