Mega Blizzard Photos

Hello!

We have had one huge storm system here in WI - a blizzard of proportions that we have not seen in many years. In the words of one weather forecaster, "It was the worst storm this area has ever seen." We had 15" of snow here - more in other areas. It was a record for a 2-day snowfall since 1948. For the first time ever, the UW campus shut down. On the news they had a video of students using cafeteria trays to sled down one of the hills. :<)

It started on Monday, Tuesday the blizzard warnings began and soon everyone started cancelling events and schools started closing and by Wednesday morning the weather conditions were unbelievably bad!

When I went to go outside to see if I could find my car under all the snow that had fallen, to clear the snow off, I could not get the door to the outside to open. It was stuck. I kept trying until I felt it give and when I pushed it open all of this snow on the ground went with it. No wonder it was so difficult to open! :<)

The first thing I saw when I opened the door was that the huge tree that stands right outide the door was covered in heavy wet snow.

I turned to my left and saw my car. I only knew it was my car because it was parked in my parking stall - otherwise it looked like just one big area of never-ending white covered with huge while lumps. :<)

I was fascinated with this beautiful sparkly world of white outside. When I saw the trees by the drive into our parking lot - they were so heavy with snow that their branches were touching the ground in places. These are major size trees and this snow was taking them down! I was in awe.

This was my car on the right.

Some of the photos have this blue cast to them, I don't know why except that it was early morning and these first photos were not taken in as strong of daylight as later ones. It was 7:15 am when I went outside and 8:45 am when I finished cleaning off my car and shoveling around it so I could walk next to the car to reach the snow. It was very wet and heavy snow and my coat and gloves were soaked through when I was finished.

I cannot remember snow this deep for some many years.

The storm had blown the snow against the side of the building and it stuck to the outside wall by the entry door. The large trees at the corner of the building protected it somewhat or I am sure that this would have been a much larger area - as it was on other parts of the building. The man with the snowblower had been there by now and you can see the narrow path to the door.

He never returned and the parking lot was not plowed at all today - so now the cars that have been cleaned off during the day have to sit there until tomorrow, as no one can go anywhere.

This photo continues right, around the corner of the building. It was very quiet - nothing was moving. No traffic as the road was not plowed, no people out yet with shovels and snowblowers. It truly was a winter wonderland to look at it - if you didn't think about the reality of the impact of a storm this size.

This was around the building to the left - at the back of the property.

When I went around to the front of the apartment building, the snow covering the trees was beautiful. Then I realized we no longer had a street running by! No snow plows had been through and it was again just a never-ending landscape of white.

Here are a few more photos of this huge snowfall that covered everything.

The trees were so heavy with the snow that the branches kept bending and hanging lower and lower throughout the day and I am afraid that some may break by tomorrow.

After 1 1/2 hours of shoveling and literally pushing the snow off of my car, it was finally clear! Now it sits waiting for the plows to come tomorrow and clean our parking lot so that we can move our cars and they can then clear our parking places so we can move them back.

Here's hoping this snowstorm ends soon. The winds and blowing of snow started today, causing whiteouts and hazardous road conditions - and the temperatures started to drop with 15-20 degrees below zero windchill expected for overnight. Winds of 25+ mph will turn the snow to ice and there is a winter advisory out through Thursday. So many people in so many states were affected by this storm system - I hope it ends soon.

Thanks for stopping by today!

This is my posting for Thursday - I will be back on Friday.

Barbara Diane