Snow Day?

I remember waking up super early to tune into KISS-108 FM and catch the radio DJ announcing which towns were canceling school because of bad weather. It always annoyed me when I had to listen to the list starting with the letter L… since my town starts with K, I had to wait through the whole list before hearing my town's name.

Then came the moment of truth. “Kittery.” I'd quickly turn off the radio and head back to bed… until my dad wakes me up, hands me a shovel, and tells me to clear the driveway.

Back in those days, a school closure meant serious blizzard conditions—think half a foot to a foot of snow, ice, and fierce winds. If we only got three to four inches of snow, school was definitely on. Now it feels like two inches is all it takes for Superintendents to declare a snow day.

Wimps.

Today, tons of school districts canceled classes. They expect two to four inches of snow plus freezing rain, making the roads a mess. The storm's timing is tricky, hitting right when school lets out and everyone is trying to head home.

Smart wimps.

I’d love to be home today, but instead, I’m at work, sipping my coffee and getting ready to start my day. I even have my windshield wipers up so they won’t freeze to the windshield when I get back to my car. Snow is supposed to start falling in the next half hour, and it’ll be coming down fast and hard for a couple of hours while I hunker down in my office. I could have worked from home. I thought about it. It’s going to be a fun drive home later today. Thanks, boss.

47 years ago today, the Blizzard of ‘78 hit New England. The storm dumped over two feet of snow, on top of about 21 inches that had already fallen just days earlier. Some places got as much as 30 inches! Governor Dukakis implored residents to stay home. Schools were closed for nearly a week. Coastal towns were consumed by the sea. Cars were left abandoned on Route 128. Celtics fans were stuck in the Garden; I think some even slept there. I was seven years old at the time, and it was epic.

Another storm is expected to arrive this weekend, and another storm later next week.

Stay warm and safe.