Just the beginning
Happy Tuesday to all....hope you're not digging out from a foot or two of snow, as some of my friends in the East/Southeast are today!
I have to say that I caught a major break on the path and pace of that winter storm. I made my annual trip to my company headquarters in south Florida for meetings last week and was due to fly out late Friday afternoon, just as I did last year. This year, the weather in Atlanta was workable and so my flights left and arrived on schedule, delivering me home on time. Last year a similar winter weather system caused a virtual shutdown of the air traffic system from Dallas to Charlotte, which prevented folks with connections from traveling through to their destinations further north. I was delayed an extra 36 hours, but finally made it home on Sunday afternoon.
And as a resident of the northern part of the southeastern US, I can vouch. Despite efforts to prepare and to keep up, our home area is woefully unprepared for harsh winter weather. And for good reason. Seems that each winter we receive probably two or three notable snowfalls. Otherwise it's cold but relatively clear. But there have been times that it's been worse.
I recall the winter of 1978 pretty easily, as it was my senior year of high school and we missed over a month of school. Why? We had deep cold and heavy snow, and every time it began to thaw, we'd get another snowfall and be right back where we were. With the schools, it's not the urban areas that cause so many closures, it's the rural routes where so many kids are who rely on school buses for transportation. And if the buses can't run safely, there's no school.
I can only imagine how long the schools in Virginia and North Carolina will be closed.
Worth remembering that this is simply the tip of the iceberg, if you will, as there's lots more of the cold season to come. That was quite a shock to return from sunny and warm south Florida last week to temperatures hovering around 30 degrees.
So if you're stuck by heavy snow, try to make the most of it, particularly if you have power and heat. Play with your kids. Make a game of shoveling the driveway (and be careful, too, since it's easy to overexert in cold weather!), enjoy some family time.
I hope that by the next time you stop by your roads are clear!
I have to say that I caught a major break on the path and pace of that winter storm. I made my annual trip to my company headquarters in south Florida for meetings last week and was due to fly out late Friday afternoon, just as I did last year. This year, the weather in Atlanta was workable and so my flights left and arrived on schedule, delivering me home on time. Last year a similar winter weather system caused a virtual shutdown of the air traffic system from Dallas to Charlotte, which prevented folks with connections from traveling through to their destinations further north. I was delayed an extra 36 hours, but finally made it home on Sunday afternoon.
And as a resident of the northern part of the southeastern US, I can vouch. Despite efforts to prepare and to keep up, our home area is woefully unprepared for harsh winter weather. And for good reason. Seems that each winter we receive probably two or three notable snowfalls. Otherwise it's cold but relatively clear. But there have been times that it's been worse.
I recall the winter of 1978 pretty easily, as it was my senior year of high school and we missed over a month of school. Why? We had deep cold and heavy snow, and every time it began to thaw, we'd get another snowfall and be right back where we were. With the schools, it's not the urban areas that cause so many closures, it's the rural routes where so many kids are who rely on school buses for transportation. And if the buses can't run safely, there's no school.
I can only imagine how long the schools in Virginia and North Carolina will be closed.
Worth remembering that this is simply the tip of the iceberg, if you will, as there's lots more of the cold season to come. That was quite a shock to return from sunny and warm south Florida last week to temperatures hovering around 30 degrees.
So if you're stuck by heavy snow, try to make the most of it, particularly if you have power and heat. Play with your kids. Make a game of shoveling the driveway (and be careful, too, since it's easy to overexert in cold weather!), enjoy some family time.
I hope that by the next time you stop by your roads are clear!
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