Record Snowfall Nationwide

Winter Storms In

By Carson Bennett, 12-27-08

I’m dog-sitting for a friend this week. This morning, at the dog’s insistence, we went for a walk at 6:00am. It was 9 degrees above zero. Her breath froze to her whiskers and mine in my nostrils as we walked down quiet streets to a local coffee shop. If I’m going walking in freezing temperatures before dawn, I’m at least going to get myself a cup of coffee.

Various toupee-clad television weather forecasters have predicted massive amounts of snow in Colorado Springs, but so far the streets are dry. In some places, however, this has been the snowiest December on record.

And winter just started.

Storms have already pummeled the Northwest this season. Portland Oregon got 18 inches this month. Spokane Washington got a whopping 46. And the Midwest has received their share. Ullr, that great god of winter, unloaded 63 inches on Madison Wisconsin in December. I’m fantasizing about eating fried cheese curds, drinking a pint of Leinenkugels’ Fireside Nut Brown, watching the snow pile up, then strapping on my snowshoes for an afternoon walk.

Is it just me, or are the winters getting winter-ier? Maybe it’s due to global climate change. Maybe this is the beginning of a new ice-age (which would be pretty sweet for us skiers and snowboarders). Or maybe we’re just seeing an early season. In any case, if you like snow, this winter is going to be a good one.

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