winter – The Rambling New Yorker

Snow Day!

Mike — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 01:07:00 +0000

Last week something unusual happened. It snowed in Cleveland. By snow, I mean white stuff fell from the sky, reached the ground, and stayed there. Such an event is rare. A colleague said we haven’t had accumulating snow for 8 years. So I made a point to appreciate the day.

Needless to say, Delta State was closed. We’d actually closed early Monday due to ice and did not reopen until Thursday at noon. It is hard for those of you up North to imagine a university closing for such a long time due to some sleet, freezing rain, and 4 inches of snow. But keep in mind that there is no snow removal equipment around here. So anything which falls, stays until the weather warms up. Still Cleveland was far from paralyzed. Delta Dairy, the local Froyo shop, was open. So was Mississippi Grounds, the coffee shop down the street. A colleague of mine even came into work for a half day. So for locals, the biggest challenge is psychological. They just don’t know what to do around winter weather.

Fortunately I do. Priority number one was to get work done. Thanks to modern technology, I was able to do exactly that. Admittedly I was not as productive as usual, but I did do something. But snow is such a rare event around the Delta it must be enjoyed whenever it happens. Really this might be the last time I ever see it in Mississippi. So I walked around campus. Some people were out with their kids playing in the snow. College students were having a blast on the quad throwing snowballs. I also saw quite a few people driving around. Others were busy collecting snow to make ice cream, something I’ve never thought of doing being that the supermarket is a mere five minutes away. Even though the roads were mostly clear (a lot of what fell being slush) caution was still advisable. Yet some folks seemed determined to drive as fast as possible, especially in pick up trucks. That just defies logic. Later I walked down Court Street to Mississippi Grounds. Sitting there sipping a flavored hot chocolate known as a Hot Rage with the snow falling outside was the perfect moment. I need to frequent that place more often.

The best part was how the snow settled on the trees. Being only around 32° all day, the snow was very wet. So rather than falling to the ground, some of it stuck to the tree branches creating a real winter wonderland feel. It reminded me of home. Sadly all good things must end and the snow was gone by Friday now replaced by dreary rain and clouds. Such is typical for winter in Mississippi. Thus I offer up some photos for your viewing enjoyment.

The Ice Days

Mike — Sun, 16 Feb 2014 22:31:00 +0000

This week was a strange one. Not only was it cold, but there was some actual winter precipitation down here. By that I mean freezing rain, sleet, and even a little snow. While the Delta didn’t have it as bad as Georgia and the Carolinas it was enough to close Delta State for two days and keep most people off the roads. Here are some pictures:

Not what you were expecting? You thought it would be something like these pictures didn’t you? They were taken after the 1994 Ice Storm. Folks talk about it a lot down here and its easy to see why. A colleague of mine who lived through the storm has told me stories of not having power for 6 weeks.

Still the pictures I took don’t tell the full story. The roads were passable, and indeed I saw a few cars out and about on Wednesday. However the sidewalk out side my apartment was a sheet of ice. And the steps out in front of the library were slick into Thursday. It’s not hard to imagine someone slipping and falling.

But let’s be real for a second. It’s not anything I haven’t seen. Far from it in fact. True I didn’t really go anywhere Tuesday and Wednesday, but there with DSU closed and my fridge full there wasn’t much need to. However up North this same storm would not have had the same impact. So what gives?

The standard answer is that Southerners are not prepared for winter weather. There is definitely something to that. Down here there aren’t trucks to salt the roads. So any ice which comes down stays where it falls until the temperature rises above freezing. Plus since such events are so rare, people don’t know how to handle themselves. Therefore it really does make sense to be extra-cautious around here when the snow starts falling.

Such days are probably behind us for the year. It’s already mid-February so temperatures will be creeping up soon. Spring is right around the corner and summer won’t be far behind. Somehow I’m sort of looking forward to it. In the mean time here are some more pictures.

Southern Winters

Mike — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 23:40:00 +0000

Everybody knows that the weather is warmer down South. Summers are hotter and winters are mild. Mississippi is no exception. A friend of mine said the heaviest jacket I would ever need is a fleece. For me, the idea that there would be a winter with no snow and not even a frost was jarring. Then there was this:

And that was in November. A few weeks after, the Delta had a hard freeze which lasted several days. December and January have been even colder although temperatures have returned to normal.

I’m not going to pretend as if the recent weather is typical because it isn’t. But it does illustrate an important point which is that the weather down here is variable. Cleveland is far enough north to experience ice, freezing rain, and even the occasional snowfall. Even in an ordinary year it gets cool enough to be refreshing.

The problem is, the South is generally not prepared for winter weather when it occurs. So houses and pipes are not insulated, there is no such thing as road salt, and people somehow think that you’re supposed to drive faster when its icy. Case in point, my kitchen sink.. Earlier this week, temperatures did not rise above freezing. It was cold even by New York standards. Then after breakfast on Tuesday I went to wash my cereal bowl. Except there was no cold water. The faucet would turn, but nothing came out. My fear was that the pipe was broken. However my landlord told me to leave the cabinet doors open and turn the faucet on a bit. Sure enough when I returned from work there was cold water flowing from the tap.

Winter has thus been a bit of a surprise. Too bad it won’t last. But after a full summer of 95 – 100° even 60 is refreshing. Perhaps I will get used to this. Or perhaps not. Time will tell.