Don't Be Fooled By February

I was sucked into complacency.  We had over 2 feet of snow dumped on us one weekend in January.  Then February arrived.  Mr. Groundhog didn't see his shadow. (How that is possible, I don't know.  It was a sunny day.  And even if it hadn't been there were tons of cameras around with lights shining on the area.  How could he have missed his shadow???)  Temperatures hit record highs.  Winter coats were replaced with lighter ones.  The calendar said that spring was 40+ days away and I was feeling good. (Ready to dig out those lawn chairs!)

The news mentioned the possibility of snow.  But hey, it was 50 something at the time.  Snow?  Maybe some showers, but snow?

Then I got up this morning.  White stuff was covering the ground.  Big flakes were coming down.  The 1-3 inches that were a possibility had now creeped up to 2-4.  School scheduled a delayed opening.  (A wise decision in my mind; the snow was supposed to end by the time school was to start and using another snow day so early in February didn't seem prudent to me.) Reality was no longer sunny and warm, but gray and white.

It couldn't be that bad.  I'd quickly shovel out a path to my car, brush it off and be ready to go.  (That is after I figured out how I was getting my son to school.  I need a better back up plan for delayed openings.)  The shovel had blown over. (With all the snow that had melted it was no longer propped up.)  It was wet and heavy, covered in that "fluffy" white snow that is heavy and dense with liquid.  Quickly shoveling a path was not quite as easy as I thought.  Those big white flakes kept coming down and covered my path as I attempted to brush off my car.  (Why does the maximum amount of snow ALWAYS end up on the roof of my SUV where I can't reach it).  I'm trying to shove as much off the roof before I go to the passenger side to shovel a path.  I keep shoving, but it seems like no matter how much comes off, there's still more.  

I was covered in snow.  My car was "somewhat clean" and my path needed another brushing.  I was beat and I still had a full day of work ahead of me! I slowly made my way out of the driveway and into the slush covered streets of town.  My usual easy drive was not as easy as I passed people who had gotten stuck (which is why I always try to stick to main roads during storms because while traffic might be slow, the roads will be clearer than secondary ones).  But the important thing is I got to work safely.  And, thanks to a wonderful support team, my son got to school.

My husband is the "lucky" fellow who gets to clear up the mess that is still left behind.  It's heavy; it's wet and that is no fun to deal with.  The good news is with the temperature in the mid to upper 40s over the next couple of days, what's left SHOULD quickly melt and dry up.

That is until the next storm.  That's supposed to be on Tuesday and bring us less than an inch.  But don't be fooled by February.  Less than an inch can turn into who knows what.  That groundhog claims will get an early spring, but can we really trust a rodent?

Don't be fooled by February.  Keep those shovels at the ready and stay stocked up on ice melt.  We've still got 43 days until spring!