“The drizzles do not bother me,” my standard reply when people asked how I like Seattle. “You guys did not tell me it is cold here.” In fact, this newbie to Seattle found the summer bright and pleasant. “Just you wait,” local would say. “Rain will come.”
They were wrong. Snow arrived first.
The first snow came Sunday and lasted only for about half an hour. Monday morning I woke up to a thin blanket of whiteness. The streets were clear and snow accumulates only on tree limbs and shrubs. By mid-afternoon, the sky turn grey and it looked like a thick fog out there. By 10pm, flakes flew horizontally against the street lights. White sands move on the streets as if they are alive. Pretty much all surfaces were covered in inches of powder.
Awesome!
The city is practically paralyzed. Local news reported a pregnant women stranded on the highway for over five hours. She had 23 miles to go at the speed of zero. Spin-outs, flip-overs, and fender-benders were everywhere. Wind blasted the temperature even lower. Some areas lost electricity.
When I walked Dog at night, I donned a beaner hat, wool scarf, trench coat (heavy sweater inside), gloves, and insulated boots. Snow flakes whirled up and stung my face. I twisted my torso against the wind and navigated with memory. Even with traction boots, the footing was slippery. Nasty.
Morning came a glorious day. Bright sun, blue sky with lovely clouds, whiteness coated everything on the ground. Funny how that just lifted my spirit. Since Seattle actually does not even try to clear all roads (“Take the bus,” said the mayor), all schools were closed and most people stay home. The city appeared deserted.
Honestly, this is fun for this city dweller. I am not sure of the snow’s entertainment value if it continues.