At first I thought it was all a bunch of hype and we would be lucky to see a few inches. Admittedly I did make a point to hit the grocery store a few days before the impending weather, but I was on my way there already. Certainly I was not buying into all of the media driven hoopla.
But then on a Tuesday afternoon the sky turned completely white and the snow began to fall. It fell fast. It fell hard. It fell with a purpose. It was impossible to concentrate at work because the scene that was unfolding outside the window was too gripping to take your eyes off of. I mean Chicago see's more than its fair share of snow every winter, but this was more than just snow, this was crazy insane I want to shut down Lake Shore Drive snow. By 3:00 I called it a day. This weather wasn't playin' and the comforts of home were calling.
Thankfully (even though I was not listening to the hyperbole, no sir I was not) I opted to leave my car parked in my garage that morning and trained to work, because I have some bad car karma when it comes to navigating severe winter weather. So, I waited (along with about eighty percent of my office), for the building shuttle to take me to the train, but sadly it too decided to check out of work early because there was no shuttle to be found. I decided it's moments like these when you can create cool stories to tell your grandchildren so I put my shoulder to the wind and ventured out onto the city streets in the middle of the blizzard.
By the time I reached the train my hair was caked with snow (BAD day to forget your hat) and I waited through three sardined packed trains only to finally cross over to the other side of the tracks and take it completely around the loop in order to get home. The train had to stop multiple times because of snow filled tracks. The whole city was canceling their plans and fleeing. The snow, it just kept on a comin.
Ok so the weathermen and women were right. There is a first time for everything.
When I arrived home I could not have been filled with more gratitude to have a warm, dry and comfortable place to call home. I put a pizza in the oven, wrapped myself in my super soft robe, opened a bottle of wine and I was set and ready to be snowed in.
One caveat? My cable and internet...out. Bummer.
The blizzard kept building in power, like a roaring symphony outside my windows, until it crescendoed into an incredibly elusive and rare weather occurrence...the Thundersnow. Have you ever experienced lighting and thunder in the middle of a snowstorm? It's beyond cool, take my word.
I went to bed early that night and for the first time in over ten years I got to have a snow day. They haven't lost a single ounce of their glory.
I managed to snap a few photos the following day. It's certainly a snow storm I will never forget.
The snow bank that formed against my back door (you can see that it was still snowing the next morning). I had to climb on a chair and jump over it to get out.
The view through my front windows. Not very clear I realize you but can see how high the snow is creeping up around the cars.
Needed to take out your trash? That was a process to say the least.
My back alleyway which thankfully was fully plowed two days later.
This blizzard certainly slowed down Chicago for a few days, and certainly was very dangerous. However the effects of this blizzard were nothing like what the people of Japan are experiencing right now. My thoughts and prayers are with them all.
