For those of us who live in the Northeast, from Maine all the way to Pennsylvania, we got to experience the region’s first serious snowstorm dubbed “Nemo” by the Weather Channel. Ever since November 2012 when “winter storm Athena” hit right on the heels of Hurricane Sandy (you can see the damages the hurricane caused in my town here), the Weather Channel has tried making naming snowstorms a “thing,” though the National Weather Service keeps strenuously insisting it will not use names for winter storms. I don’t mind the practice–it makes them a whole lot easier to differentiate then calling them “the nor’easter of February 2013.” After awhile, all the months and years start blending together and I can’t remember which snowstorm happened in which year!
(Not my house by the way, some neighbors who live down the street from me)
I haven’t seen this much snow (excluding when I went skiing this past January in Vermont) in the USA since January/February 2010. From 2010-2012 I lived in Madrid, Spain and the most snow I saw there were a few barely there flurries and on the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains. Since I came home last September, this is the first major snowfall I’ve experienced in New York.
And while I thought my days of “snow days” were over once I left school, I got off work Friday at 2:00 PM since everybody kept encouraging those who had a long commute to leave early before the roads got really bad. Grand Central was even providing extra “get away trains” for commuters–and indeed, my train was packed!
This morning I snapped some pictures of the driveway and our house as we shoveled (which is a huge pain in the neck to do because it’s on a slant!). We are lucky my mom was able to come home this weekend (and therefore help us shovel). She works in Boston during the week and commutes on Amtrak every weekend back to New York. My sister managed to convince her to come home Thursday night instead of Friday and it’s a good thing she did because the Boston-New York Amtrak service got shut down Friday. For the curious ones, that’s my house in the third picture with the huge evergreen tree.
Our bichon frise Milou still loves playing in the snow at the ripe old age of 13. His favorite thing in the whole wide world is playing fetch, so if you throw him a tennis ball, he will consider you his new best friend. We had fun tossing him the ball with our shovels as we worked to remove the snow.
Around the backyard which includes our back deck and the treehouse. My father had the foresight to leave the windshield wipers up last night so they wouldn’t freeze to the windshield.
We took a short walk around the neighborhood. Most of our neighbors had already shoveled their driveways or were out still doing it. It looked like most of the roads were clear too. I have to hand it to my town–we have a very efficient snow removal system here. Can you imagine Madrid or Barcelona dealing with more than 2 centimeters of snow?
If you survived “Blizzard Nemo” I hope you stay warm and dry (and that shoveling wasn’t too much of a pain in the behind!). Drink hot chocolate and watch your favorite tv show reruns.
And for those of you in Spain–no need to boast about your fabulous weather. I am very aware it’s been sunny and in the 50s in most of the Iberian Peninsula. 
Your pictures make it look like something out of a fairytale although I’m sure for some it was grim
We didn’t get hit too bad, though this is the most snow we’ve gotten this winter. The places that really got a lot of snow were Massachusetts and Connecticut, so more Northeast of where I live. I’m sure the children had a blast yesterday making snowmen and going sledding. However I think everything will be back to normal and up and running tomorrow (just in time to go back to work. sigh).
Lovely pictures! I see you’re pretty used to dealing with snow. As you say, Madrid couldn’t deal with that. When it snows, the city is a completely mess!!
haha Spanish people wouldn’t know what to do with the snow! But I’m sure Madrid would be very pretty with snow, don’t you agree?
Oh my goodness, I’m cold just LOOKING at these pictures! It’s very pretty though.
Yes I suppose for you Californians, these pictures look like Siberia! It’s definitely the most snow we’ve gotten in awhile. However, most of the Midwest just got snow dumped on it earlier this week and the snowstorm is moving into New England which makes the third snowstorm in 3 weekends for those guys. Luckily it seems southern New York state (along with NYC and Long Island) will be spared this time around. We’re just going to get rain mostly (which I’m totally okay with).
Haha yes, we got a few flakes last night in Barcelona I FREAKED out! I don’t know how I’d respond to this kind of snow.
Hope you stay warm!