Snowpocalypse / Snowmageddon / SnOMG
Posted on February 6, 2010 | Categories: Life | Tags: news, photos, weather
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Washington, DC is currently taking a beating from a blizzard this weekend. It’s been snowing heavily for over 24 hours now and it is predicted to continue snowing for at least another 12 hours. The total amount of expected snow ranges from 20 – 30 inches (that’s about 50 – 78 centimeters for those using the metric system), with some areas even exceeding 30 inches. A blizzard warning is in effect all weekend and residents of the area have been told to stay inside unless absolutely necessary. 
I know Canadians (and Scandinavians, and Russians, etc :P) are scoffing about how DC has freaked out about this storm. I’m from Chicago and even I am a little skeptical about how the city has whipped itself into such a frenzy about the blizzard that one would think it was the end of the world! However, this city is not equipped at all to deal with such intense winter weather. Schools were closed yesterday and offices either operated with a bare skeleton staff or no staff at all. And when the snow started to fall, all-out panic began to ensue.
My friend and I went to the grocery store yesterday in an attempt to buy some non-perishable food items on the off chance that we got stuck in our dorms due to the snow. And my God, what a scene there was at the grocery store! Our local Whole Foods had lines that wrapped all the way around the store, customers clutching grocery carts filled to the brim with enough food to feed a third world country. There was even police there for riot control, because tensions were running very, very high. The nearby Safeway was the opposite – its shelves were stripped bare because customers had cleared it out of any and all stock.
One can’t really blame everyone for panicking, though. When the blizzard is described as “the heaviest snowfall in nearly a century,” people are most definitely going to panic! As for me, I am going to spend my day curled up in bed, watching the snow steadily fall outside my window. I already ventured outside once to see how deep the snow was for myself – I sank my leg into the snow and it’s already higher than my knees!
ETA: Final snow accumulation amount for my area is 27.5 inches. I fell waist-deep in a snow bank :(
Krissy
Stay warm and safe, Manda! I don’t even want to imagine the chaos down there. It’s one thing knowing the snow is coming, but another all together being prepared. Remind me to tell you my epic!blizzard story after the snow passes you way. ;)
Also, Snowpocalypse is the most hilarious thing I’ve heard in a while. That’s oooone good word. :P
Manda
It took me an hour to walk what normally would take 15-20 minutes, TOPS. I did a lot of stumbling around and falling into waist-deep high banks of snow :P But it was actually really fun, because when else am I going to experience a blizzard like this?
Carrie
I’m glad I have someone to relate with about the snow, bc our snow is horrible at the moment! Its so friggin deep!!!! Parents went into a panic on Friday and most of my whole daycare was out early! lol!
-nice site, ill be back to visit!
;)
Lucy
We even got some snow down here in Virginia! I heard this snow storm was going to be pretty huge. Last week we ended up getting about six inches of snow (instead of 18 they predicted, pffft) and Virginia pretty much freaked. They shut down the schools for three days straight, even though most of the snow started to melt by the second day. It was lame.
Hope you’re staying warm and toasty! Glad you prepared ahead of time. I’d probably plan on staying in the whole weekend and just enjoying myself with a good book. :)
Clem
Okay, 27.5 inches of snow is pretty insane and I’d say you have the right to be freaking out! :P We’ve had about 2 inches ALL WINTER. This is Canada, for god’s sake! (And, you know, 27.5 inches is a lot even for us. :P)
Manda
The weather forecast just issued a warning and said that DC will get ANOTHER 5 inches of snow on Tuesday/Wednesday. Seeing as the temperature is going to hover around freezing till then, looks like I’ll be seeing nothing but snow/ice instead of the ground for the rest of the month!
Marie
Your post and pictures bring back way too many bad memories!
We’ve been pretty lucky this winter in terms of snow, since we usually have blizzards like this every couple of weeks, but we’ve only had one or two since the start of the season.
Stay warm and toasty, Manda! And try not to go out unless it’s absolutely necessary. (:
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