The Seattle Deep Freeze

"Snowpocalypse 2010"

Well, as would be expected, the weathermen played down the little snow event that turned into Snowpocalypse 2010. They were pretty close on the amounts; forecasts predicted 2-4" in the Metro area, which, depending on your location, was spot on. However, the temperatures dropped so drastically and so quickly, that all of the roads (including freeways) flash froze before any plows could be deployed to treat the roads.

Horror stories of 8-12 hour commutes have been flying around Facebook. Carnage from wrecked, stranded and abandoned cars was everywhere (including the hill down to our house). Warnings to stay indoors have been given by weathermen, neighbors and worried parents.

Truth to be told, my bus was only 2 minutes late and it got me to my Park & Ride on time. Dave picked me up there and we were home fairly quickly. But, we were off the roads before the real commute - and subsequent traffic nightmares - began.

I know people say that people in Seattle don't know how to drive in snow. And, to an extent, I agree; they have little to no experience driving in the stuff, so when the white stuff comes along, the conditions cause debilitating anxiety and panicked drivers. But, I'd like to see some of those well-seasoned snow drivers try their hand at maneuvering on icy hills that have not been plowed, salted OR sanded. Even going slowly, you can sometimes lose control - or the car next to you does, and it's difficult to get out of the way. I'm not a fan of driving in it, so I tend to defer to Dave as our snow driver, unless I absolutely must go out on my own. I've done it, and I've survived... but it doesn't mean I like it.

Anyway, jumping off my soap box now. Despite the driving aspect, the snow has been beautiful and fun to have around - it's a rarity, especially at this time of year. My favorite moment of the storm was watching Benjamin experience snow for the first time. As we were driving, he just stared intently out the window at this strange stuff. Then, when I got him out of the car at home, I just stood there while his eyes went wide with equal parts excitement and intrigue. He stretched his little hand out and caught a few flakes. It would be so cool if he could tell us what he was thinking, but watching him was just as fun.

Anyway, here are some photos. Like I said, it was not an intensely heavy storm, in terms of accumulation. I think we probably got about 2" at our place. The bigger deal was the ice and the extreme cold. Since Monday, the temperature has not risen above freezing; in fact, last night Seattle hit a record low of 14 degrees. We've been toasty warm in our house, but you step outside for just a moment and the biting cold takes your breath away.

These are photos from Monday night, around 7pm. It continued to snow throughout the night and into the early morning. We woke up to blue skies and very crisp, freezing temps - but wow, what a beautiful day with the newly-white mountains glistening in the morning sun.

Benjamin was constantly looking out the window, trying to figure out what that weird, white stuff was that clung to the bushes and frosted the deck. Fortunately, I picked up a warm jacket at Costco on our way home Monday night. The fleece jackets we have for him have been sufficient to this point, but would not be enough in the cold this week. After bundling him up, Dave, who had a Snow Day from work, took him out to explore this brave new world. He was wearing some overalls (not snow pants) and decided to take a roll on the snowy sidewalk. You'll notice, the picture above right, the pants are gaping open and some snow snuck in to kiss him warm skin. Still, he loved it and was very vocal about us deciding to cut his outdoor adventure short so we could head to the store.

From what we hear, thanks to the La Nina Effect, the Pacific Northwest is in for a long, cold winter with the potential for much more icy precipitation and pretty snowflakes. Thank goodness for warm coats and a husband with a keen understanding of good outdoor gear that will keep us warm!

Happy Snow Day!