Operation Snowfall
Today I awoke to see Boulder blanketed in a quilt of white fluffy goodness. No, there wasn't a marshmallow storm. I'm talking about snow! Colorado's weather certainly has a few tricks up her sleeves. However, you know what I miss about PA (i.e. Pennsylvania) weather? Listening to the half-hour long school delay listings on the radio because every very single town has its own school district. I'm talking about that moment of pure joy when you hear "Camp Hill School District" mentioned. Then you are faced with a life-threatening dilemna. Do you remain asleep all warm and cozy in bed or venture outside to play in the snow at the risk of frostbite and hypothermia?
More specificly, I love how the storm is the only thing on the 5 o'clock news that evening. The weatherman finally gets to steal the show. I'm always amazed at how they manage to generate so many different looking maps, yet they all convey the same information. And if you haven't been flooded with enough details yet, a scrolling bar appears at the bottom of your screen, allowing you to say completely up to date on the weather conditions.
Reporters interview Penndot crews, blabbing away about how many trucks they have out and which type of salt they're using. The intense interview is interrupted by a news bulletin in which PP&L makes a public service announcement that they're well prepared in case of power outages.
Next, the mayor describes the intense process of declaring state emergencies and giving the "ok" for the snowplows to hit the streets. It's a delicate situation. If the forecast is right and you wait too long, people complain about the terrible road conditions. If the forecast is wrong and you send them out, then people complain about all the money you wasted.
The grocery store manager cites statistics about the bread and milk inventory. Why is it that everyone rushes out to buy these two items? Does snow trigger some sort of chemical reaction in the brain responsible for french bread cravings? The world may never know.
The local hardware store, with dollar signs in its eyes, capitalizes on free advertising for their latest shovels, snowblowers, and tire chains. The problem: if you already don't have those items, how can you travel to the store to buy them?
Next, the "experts" advise about proper clothing attire and warn that heart attacks can occur from improper shoveling techniques.
The old lady down the street, who puts plastic lawn chairs in her freshly shoveled parking space because she doesn't want people taking it, sparks the annual legal debate about property rights. Why does the sidewalk belong to the state, yet homeowners get fined when they don't shovel it within 24 hours of the snowfall? It's investigative journalism at its finest.
Lastly, as the anchors bid the Pennsylvanian viewers good night, clips of school children making snowmen and snowangels flash across the screen. Once again, we are reminded of snow's beauty. I'm amazed by the nostalgic effect it has on the young and the young at heart.
More specificly, I love how the storm is the only thing on the 5 o'clock news that evening. The weatherman finally gets to steal the show. I'm always amazed at how they manage to generate so many different looking maps, yet they all convey the same information. And if you haven't been flooded with enough details yet, a scrolling bar appears at the bottom of your screen, allowing you to say completely up to date on the weather conditions.
Reporters interview Penndot crews, blabbing away about how many trucks they have out and which type of salt they're using. The intense interview is interrupted by a news bulletin in which PP&L makes a public service announcement that they're well prepared in case of power outages.
Next, the mayor describes the intense process of declaring state emergencies and giving the "ok" for the snowplows to hit the streets. It's a delicate situation. If the forecast is right and you wait too long, people complain about the terrible road conditions. If the forecast is wrong and you send them out, then people complain about all the money you wasted.
The grocery store manager cites statistics about the bread and milk inventory. Why is it that everyone rushes out to buy these two items? Does snow trigger some sort of chemical reaction in the brain responsible for french bread cravings? The world may never know.
The local hardware store, with dollar signs in its eyes, capitalizes on free advertising for their latest shovels, snowblowers, and tire chains. The problem: if you already don't have those items, how can you travel to the store to buy them?
Next, the "experts" advise about proper clothing attire and warn that heart attacks can occur from improper shoveling techniques.
The old lady down the street, who puts plastic lawn chairs in her freshly shoveled parking space because she doesn't want people taking it, sparks the annual legal debate about property rights. Why does the sidewalk belong to the state, yet homeowners get fined when they don't shovel it within 24 hours of the snowfall? It's investigative journalism at its finest.
Lastly, as the anchors bid the Pennsylvanian viewers good night, clips of school children making snowmen and snowangels flash across the screen. Once again, we are reminded of snow's beauty. I'm amazed by the nostalgic effect it has on the young and the young at heart.
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