W is for Waiting
Snowpocalypse is coming?
Family photo, December 2025
January 24, 2026, 9 am. On our wooded Virginia slope this morning, our gauge says 12 degrees. The sky is partially, visibly blue; a tiny breeze occasionally moves what’s left of the leaves on a few trees. Bare, dry ground. All week, the warnings have been impossible to ignore, and anyway, best to be prepared. Snow is predicted to accumulate anywhere from four to 18 inches. What to believe? The grocery store evoked memories of the pandemic. Shelves empty; lines at checkout. [Why is someone buying two dozen rolls of toilet paper?] Bread and milk, gone.
We’ve been in this house for nearly eight years, during which the generator has rarely needed to kick in. This weekend, we might be grateful for that investment if the power goes out. Why would it not quit? I assume we’ll lose power in this rural area. So, we’ll stay home, keep busy, and wait it out, hoping no trees fall on the house. Might go snowshoeing around the slope, hoping no trees fall on us.
Confession: I love snow. Must be in my DNA. Born in Ohio, raised in Upstate New York, I took winter for granted. Decades later, we spent 13 years in Wisconsin, where, of course, winter is the norm. In Virginia, winter is an unwanted emergency where the state shuts down. Fine with me; I’m retired and love staying home. I love looking at snowfall, but especially love the day after when sunshine blinds this snowshoer, glistening off white crystal. Not sure if I’ll be out there if it’s icy.
It’s been very cold up here in New England today. I did go on a nice walk though, dressed in lots of layers. I actually got a little sweaty! We are expecting about a foot of snow beginning tomorrow. But it will be the light fluffy stuff and we are not expecting it to be too windy. Power outages should not be widespread. Down by you, though, are the meteorologists thinking that there may be ice mixed in? That certainly could cause downed trees and down to powerlines. Take extra good care. Stay safe and stay warm!
We've got mostly sleet and ice here in Central Texas, which is not as nice as snow. I do miss a good snow a few times each winter as we had further north, as long as it doesn't stick around too long. I hope yours is enjoyable but doesn't keep you indoors too long.