February 2011: The shortest month (Thank goodness!)

After the snowiest January on record, what will February bring? 

February 2:  Another storm! This one was massive - called a "monster storm" that paralyzed the middle part of the country, from Dallas to Chicago!  By the time it got here, there wasn't much snow - it was mostly sleet and freezing rain, but that was bad enough.  It created a 1/2" coating of ice on everything, including all the snow piles left from last week's storm.   Conditions on both roads and sidewalks were treacherous!   Enough already!

Cypress Hills Cemetery, the day after!

Can you see the glaze of ice on everything?

February 13:  The ice and snow are melting, but not fast enough for me!!  Some photos taken today, in Baldwin - lots of ice left in that pond:

February 17:  And the snow continues to melt .... and miracle of miracles, no new snowstorms since January!  That huge snow pile in my front yard is but a square foot tonight!    In fact,  the evening temps are currently at 58 degrees, and tomorrow is supposed to get into the 60s!!!! Woo-Hoo!!!!  Can spring be far behind???

February 28th:  Lots of rain today, but no snow!  YAY, we made it through February!!!!!!!

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February 25th:  So far so good!  Another storm today, but here on the east coast, it's all RAIN! Weather forecast looks promising for the rest of February too - not good weather; it's more rain all weekend - but at least no more snow!!!!

Just 7 more days left in this shortest month - will we make it through with no more snow?? Once we hit March, it's only 20 more days until SPRING!  Woo-Hoo!!

February 21:   Excitement over spring came too soon!  Just when ALL the snow from previous storms has finally melted, we got an additional 3" last night.  At least it waited until the old stuff was gone!  We went to get our taxes done today - at least the snow looked pretty on the trees!

Snowstorm ~ December 2010

12/26/10:  Scheduled to drive home from Allegany on Sunday, we hoped to beat the blizzard home to NYC.  It had begun down south and  was predicted to move up the eastern seaboard and  hit the metro NYC area by late afternoon/early evening.  However, we discovered it was moving into our area faster than predicted - by midday we were already hearing news on the radio about drifting snow and car pileups on Route 80 in New Jersey.  We decided to take Route 17 into the city, and hoped that by coming in from the north, it would give us some precious extra time to get home ahead of the worst of it.

We hit the storm head-on about an hour north of the city, and the roads were starting to become treacherous on that last leg!  But we made it okay before the full fury began!

Early morning on the road in western New York:

 

Snow was really starting to come down
by the time we made it to the Tappan Zee Bridge:

We made it home just when the snow was starting to stick on the roads, causing slippery conditions - around 3:30PM.  This is the view from my front door, shortly after sundown the evening of 12/26:

12/27/10:  The next day was a snow day in NYC!  Official measurement in Central Park was 20".  Queens got more than that, closer to 24" with 4-5 foot drifts everywhere.

There was an abandoned car at the top of our block, so things didn't look good for getting plowed out anytime soon!  By day's end we were hearing reports of abandoned cars everywhere, and a general shortage of snowplow sightings in all outer boroughs!

View from our bedroom window, looking down:

Cold birds, waiting to be fed:

Feeding Frenzy:

View out the back bedroom window:

12/28-12/29/10: But the fun was just beginning!  It took DPS two days to plow our street, and many other streets ~ especially in East New York (Brooklyn) where I work ~ were still not plowed after four days!  It was treacherous trying to get to work during the week between Christmas and New Years.   On Wednesday, I got stuck on Cleveland Street near Sutter Avenue, and while trying to dig myself out (I was smart enough to take a shovel in the car with me), a Good Samaritan came along and helped me get out.  I gave him $20 for his trouble!  He evoked God's blessings on me, which,  as it turned out,  I really needed to actually get to work that day!

12/31/10: Bob and I were both off on Friday, New Year's Eve!  It was a beautiful, sunny day and some melting had already taken place.   We took a walk in the park and got some photos:

My Snow Angel!

 

 What a way to end the year!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
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