Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Decentber: About My Hate for Snow

A pretty mild, calm and boring December it has been so far, hence I am calling it Decentber. Because the weather hasn't been bad at all. Most days have been above normal, with sun, and what little precip has fallen has been rain. I could definitely live with it staying like this the entire winter.

Many are shocked that a weather nut such as myself loathes snow. Somewhere between the time when I was a kid and snow meant a potential day off school to the time I became an adult and it meant a pain in the ass commute to work it is true, I lost my love for the stuff. It is annoying and an inconvenience.

Now don't get me wrong, if we get another blizzard like we had back in February that would certainly be awesome. That was a full on severe weather assault with 60mph winds, hail and thundersnow totalling over 20 inches that put the city to a hault. THAT I WILL TAKE. But you can save all your piddly 2-12 inch accumulations for somewhere else in the country.

The media chaser would say "but snow video sells good," Yea, maybe in Texas where an inch of snow equals the apocalypse, but here in Chicago we have plenty of media to go out and shoot their own B-roll shots of idiot drivers sliding into ditches. Believe me, I have tried. So that argument is moot.

Sure, snowstorms are a challenge to forecast and are a good way to rack ones meteorological brain and put their forecast skills to the test, but again, I can do that with a snow event somewhere else. Doesn't need to be in my backyard.

Snow makes for pretty pictures: Yea, not in the city, it turns brown and black after about 2hrs. I am not a photog and driving 2hrs to take pictures of snow is not appealing to me.

So I just don't get excited over the stuff, and wouldn't complain if Decentber continued all the way into March. Winter is basically a go big or go home type deal for me. Snowpocalypse that brings the human race crawling to its knees, or nothing at all. Because unless it is just that, it is nothing more than an inconvenience. Snow loses its magic at the age of 16, when suddenly one must drive in it, and places of employment [unlike schools] remain open.

Plus, the weather statistic nerd in me has realized that if we continue on this pace, we will set a new record for the latest date of measurable snow in the city, and who knows what else. Always neat to experience either end of the record spectrum.