All Hell breaks loose here when a snowstorm is predicted. Hardware stores run out of snow shovels and deicer. Grocery stores run out of bread, milk, and toilet paper. Schools close early and people rush to get home before the roads get impassable. The people who have four- or all-wheel drive vehicles believe they’re invincible on snowy or icy roads. Fortunately for the rest of us, they’re the first ones to skid into the ditches.
We got about 4″ of snow here at Casa Sammamish yesterday. While that amount would be considered church picnic weather in the Snow Belt of upstate New York where I grew up, it effectively paralyzes the Seattle-Tacoma region. Main roads get cleared. Side streets languish until the weather gets warmer or enough people are brave enough to drive. The steep hills and traffic roundabouts on side streets make plowing a challenge. The buses are as disadvantaged as cars. During Monday’s snowfall, two buses I was on lost their chains on Interstate 5. It took me 2 1/2 hours to get to work that morning from the Park and Ride.
This morning I peeked out of our bedroom window. It was still dark out, but the snow reflected what light there was from the street lamps. The other thing that struck me was the silence. I didn’t hear any cars or trucks driving on 96th Avenue. I haven’t seen anyone in the park across the river from our condo yet. That may change soon, as the snowshoers and cross-country skiers wake up. The silence was occasionally broken by quacks or honks by our resident waterfowl. I’ll have to shovel the driveway at some point. In the meantime, I’m enjoying the silence of the snowfall.
View of the park this afternoon. About four inches of snow fell yesterday.
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