The weather where we live, the Portland-Vancouver part of the Pacific Northwest, is reasonably temperate. Winters here usually aren’t much to worry about. Most years we can expect a couple of weeks of temperatures in the teens and maybe a couple of inches of snow now and then. Some winters all we get are a few days of heavy frost.
Two weeks ago came the prediction of the worst snow and ice storm in five years coming down from British Columbia. Day by day, hour by hour, we checked the forecast. We went to the store to stock up on groceries. Monday, when it was to start, it was cold but dry. Tuesday, however…, But Tuesday was wet and 40 degrees. But Wednesday, just you wait…., But Wednesday was wet and too warm to worry also. Thursday, though…. Thursday schools were closed at the last moment because it began to snow hard at about 7:30 a.m. Then it stopped and the sun came out for a while. Friday, the same thing. Schools closed at the last minute for what ended up as not much more snow than for maybe half dozen snowballs.
Unlike other parts of the country where snow is a way of life, here it’s just a nuisance. But roads can be treacherous in the outlying areas, so school administrators have to keep that in mind when making decisions. And where there is no need for heavy and abundant snow removal equipment, the roads aren’t well serviced in that regard. But that’s beside the point.
This past week, each day was different from what was forecast, and each day the forecast changed hour by hour. But yesterday, Saturday, the storm that took its sweet time getting here got here. But hey, it wasn’t going to amount to much, right? The forecast was for one to three inches. This morning I measured eight inches of snow covered with half an inch of ice. I spent much of the day clearing the driveway and getting Robin’s car out from under ice-laden limbs. Its precipitating right now. Kind of rain, kind of snow, kind of sleet. The forecast is for more of the same. But the same as what?
