We're pretty well through this storm, I think - digging out and enjoying the calm after the storm.  It's still snowing very lightly, but there's not much wind today, so the snow will have a chance to settle.  Yesterday it was mostly airborne.  I measured a strong 18 inches this morning and that contained almost 2 inches of moisture.  However all measurements are imprecise when dealing with a storm like this because so much snow was on the move.  There are drifts that are much deeper, and probably spots where the snow was nearly swept away entirely - like on Cabot Plain.   Actually, all of that would be on Cabot Plain, by the cemetery.  It drifts there and also sweeps areas down to the dirt.  This storm was not as bad as predicted, and most of us are happy about that.  I took a picture of my measuring stick out in the back yard yesterday morning as the storm was beginning (top picture).  This morning I took another one (bottom picture).  The area where the stake is gets lots of wind, so again, the measurement is just an indicator.  In order to make it closer for reporting purposes, I should go out and measure in several different locations and then take an average.  I'm not as dedicated as I once was.  This is close enough.



There were lots of accidents on the highways yesterday - cars and trucks sliding off the road, mostly because they were going too fast for the conditions.  People who could have stayed at home didn't and some got into trouble.  I guess a storm like this is a challenge for some to get out there and prove to everyone how tough they are.

I hope everyone is safe - I've heard from Tom Dente in Connecticut that the storm there didn't amount to as much as feared; also, Liz Randall on Long Island reported the storm started as snow and then turned into a "rainy mess."  I keep thinking of Barbara Pollack in Tucson's 80-90 degree heat.  I'm also thinking if the weather pattern we've been experiencing holds true and we get a really warm spell, imagine the tons of water that will be running down to the lowlands along the Connecticut River, for instance.  If it isn't one thing it's half a dozen others to worry about.