Wow! Let's talk about snow! Everyone here told me, and has been telling me that they just don't get very much snow along the coastline...certainly not as much as they do inland. Pshaw, I say! I have seen more snow and TRUE cold weather here than I ever have in my lifetime anywhere else.
I have now officially been through two Nor'Easters. They also call these "Perfect Storms," just like in the movie. It is generally when a storm from the south comes up and crushes a storm from the north and they collide with great ferocity, sheets of snow and gale force winds. Lately, this has resulted in mass amounts of snow and sub zero temperatures here.
By mass amounts, I mean maybe 8-10" minimum per snowfall. Yesterday's storm resulted in 24" in a 24 hr period, out my front door. I know; I measured. I also had to dig a path to my car that was across the way (I'd left room for the landlord's plow that never came). It took me 90 minutes to dig a path to and around the car. Another 45 minutes just to uncover it and start it up. I think it was about 7 degrees at the time....and when it is that cold, the snow turns into little ice crystals that sting when they hit you. They don't even look like snowflakes, but rather like little lightning bolts. If nothing else, I am getting my exercise. I think I have lost some pounds -- my pants are loose. I must get some glove liners...
Last week, it was about 10" on top of what was already there. In between the massive storms, we have been having smaller, snow producing storms. In fact, for about a two week period, it snowed just about every other day like clockwork. In the back area of the duplex, there are drifts that I know must be in excess of six feet. I know. I saw the ground when I first got here. Each time it snows, I have to force the front or back door open and then shovel a way out. There are no overhangs and the snow gets blown straight up against the doors.
I've also kept shoveling an area for Lily, although I have to admit, it is getting smaller and smaller as the snow gets heavier and heavier to shovel.... Tonight, I let her off leash for a bit to run around while I was outside. She looked at me mischievously and took off running into the drifts. A few minutes later, she was out in the snow over her head and literally swimming in it. She started to get a scared look in her eyes and turned around back toward me to swim her way back in the depressions she'd already made. I thought I would have to leap out and save my "drowning" dog!
There have been nights of minus 14, days of minus 5 and routine days of 0-3 degrees. All I can say was that Subaru had the right idea when they put in heated seats....My Forrester has been doing awesome in all the snow, even when I am in an un-plowed area such as leaving the parking lot at work for the night.
Today was like summer. After all that snowfall, the sun came our and it warmed up to about 20. Unbelievably, if in the sun, the snow will start to melt. People have told me this is so out of the ordinary...that they will get small (2-6") bouts of sow, but they are few and far between, the sun always comes out and most of the snow is already gone before the next round. Right.....
Now I do have to share this -- Maine takes care of their roads like no other winter state I've been in. They start plowing right away and then keep it up all throughout the storm. The highways are always clear. And they don't put berms in the middle like in WA....they keep four lanes just that, four lanes. Now some of those berms may be 12 feet high....but the roads are pretty clear. That's not to say we don't get ice, but even that isn't too bad because the roads are so clean. People have told me studded tires are not allowed here. I haven't seen any chemical trucks. In fact, I don't think I've even seen sanding trucks -- they just scrape it away. When it gets to be too much, they truck it away. Somewhere. They don't dump it in the ocean either. Maine has an awesome DOT!
My poor landlord had an icky day yesterday. It started with it being soooo cold and snowy. Then his truck from work (the one with the plow) had engine problems and he was at the auto repair place all day. Around 9:30 pm he made it back to plow and by then the snow was so deep that he got stuck, plow and all. After about half an hour, we dug out the tires and used some cardboard from my moving boxes to help make traction. He was nice enough to help get garbage (for me mostly moving boxes and paper) up to the highway. I pick up both our cans in the morning on my way to work so they don't end up on the highway or in the forest.
Apparently, someone didn't like the volume of my garbage. I came home tonight to find my locking mailbox stuffed with snow. I believe it was stuffed by hand -- there was too much of it to have just drifted in and the slot is small....it was quite full of snow -- all the way to the top, and was empty and dry the day before. Oh well....
The next forecast is a snowstorm on Saturday...then another next Tuesday. Here we go again.....
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