The Boston Blizzard of December 2010

Weather has been crazy all over the country, and over the entire planet for that matter. We haven't had a 'normal' application of weather for a decade, but lately, it seems as if something or someone is standing above our planet using a giant spoon stirring the weather around as if we are in a cauldron. The last few years we have been 'wintering' in Boston to escape the harsh heavy snowfalls we usually get in Maine. I live at the top of a steep driveway and every time it snows, it has to be plowed and sanded. That can run into big money over a very short period of time, and there are few people available to plow my type of driveway these days.

I often get teased for 'wintering' in Boston. Most think I should go further south, but the rent is free in Boston, and any place else won't be; and since no one is rich we go where it is more convenient. Believe it or not, Boston does get less snow than my area of Maine because Boston is on the ocean, and my home in Maine is in the foothills and mountains. There is a big difference in temperature; hence more snow. Moisture in the air in my area during winter means freezing rain, sleet, or snow. Moisture in Boston means either rain, or snow. And if it is snow, it doesn't stay on the ground frozen until Spring, piling each snowfall upon the last one, until you have 4 or 5 feet of snowbank looking at you. I'll take 24 inches of snow for the winter any day over 5 plus feet.

Well; back to the crazy weather patterns our nation has been having lately. Massachusetts was threatened with two snow storms, but at the last minute, they veered away only to pull a surprise and give us about 2 inches of the powdery stuff one night in early December. Then, about 5 days ago, we were stuck with the 'big one.'

The weather man was calling it a blizzard. A word that sends fear into the hearts and minds of man (at least it does for me). They tried to make us feel better, giving us the explanation that a blizzard is nothing more than consistent winds of at least 25 miles per hour while it is snowing. The blizzard condition simply means that snow will be whipping around in the air constantly, making driving and walking difficult because you cannot see far in front of you. Whew!! That's a relief. I used to think that "blizzard" meant to expect at least 24 inches of snow.

Anyway, as you can probably tell; I love taking photos, so when it started snowing I stood and braced myself in the threshold of the back and front doors and snapped away. The wind was blowing like crazy! I dressed in coat, hat, and pulled my collar up around my neck. I went out three times: at the beginning when the snow was whipping around like crazy and there was little snow; then about 6 hours later when there was more accumulation, and finally; after it stopped and people were out with shovels trying to clean up and make paths to walk and park their cars.

Parking is at a premium in Boston 365 days a year. This city, established in the 1600's was not created to accommodate the 3 and 4 cars per household that it does today. So when it snows, people shovel out a path for their cars to park on the street (very few driveways available) and leave beach chairs, traffic cones, step stools, etc. to hold their spot until they come home. Usually people respect it and drive around looking for another spot to park.

Here is a slideshow of the snow from a very narrow range of view. The first shots were taken at night.... It's hard to tell, but I suspect we got around 12 to 14 inches of snow. The winds were whipping so hard, blowing snow all over the place, that after all was said and done, some areas of the block got less snow than others.

Enjoy!!!