Today snow cancelled flights in to Washington DC’s Regan Airport. And many businesses, kids wondering what is up for Monday for the east coast snow storm that happened on Super Bowl weekend.
My dad was a World War Two B-24 tail gunner and when we watched war films growing up on TV or at the drive in, I remember him laughing. He would smile and groan “oh that is so Hollywood”. Meaning the way the film producer, director or script described and tried to recreate was not accurate. Something lost in translation. With weather, when you live in Maine where winter is one of our favorite seasons to ski, ice fish, play hockey and snowsled, I hear my dad’s response and think sensationalize when I watch the media, weatherman.
When the internet, television or newspapers show over the top reaction to a few inches of snow, it all boils down to that area just not getting much snow. When you don’t get much, or on a regular basis, it is a big deal.
It’s not Hollywood dad. Folks do stock up on water, milk, batteries and bread. Kids get excited making sticky snowballs and hoping school the next day is cancelled. Whatever it takes. When there are lots of people in an urban area, lack of equipment and experience with snow, drivers not used to dealing with blowing snow and icy roads not cleared properly, it just makes sense what happens. Over reaction due to inexperience with snow.
Snow is not a weekly occurence or something hoped for in areas that don’t get much. Dog sled races, horse drawn sleigh rides were part of this weekend’s Moosestomper’s Weekend. A celebration of Northern Maine winter in Aroostook County.
My oldest son is in college as a junior at George Washington in DC. This weekend’s snow makes him laugh as he grew up in Northern Maine, shoveling, plowing the white stuff. When the temperature is in the 20’s and some “storms” are a few inches, he says the DC area goes crazy. Here is what a Maine winter snowstorm looks like. And by ten oclock that morning, everything is cleaned up, driveways plowed or snow blowed and life goes on. Right on schedule.