Really Now?

I'm not recapping the issue because I don't want this to appear on internet searches, mostly because of where I work. So read this first.

I would like to join in the chorus of DC-Metro folks in defending ourselves here. First, alright, people from upstate New York and other lake effect places MIGHT have a bit of a point. Might. But they actually don't because you EXPECT to get 3 feet of snow all of a sudden in Buffalo and South Bend and places like that. Here, not so much. So...apples, oranges. And plus....not all of those taking us to task are actually FROM lake-effect regions. Ahem.

Also, I have LONG been someone who routinely makes fun of this area for the COMPLETE AND TOTAL panic that sets in every time they call for snow to stick to the ground. I've done it on this blog this and every winter. I've lived in snowy places, I've seen a lot and still I can say this was bad. This was very, very, very bad. Also, even if it wasn't very, very, very bad and we were willing to go to work (which, seriously by the second day off most people were) we weren't ABLE to without 4 wheel drive. Metro--HALF the system was just plain ol' Not. Open. Plus, about half of us don't even own cars anyway (DC is the second or third highest non-car-having population in the US--will cite later), let alone 4 wheel drive cars. I mean--you know it's bad when the local news stops anouncing cancelations and closings (everything's canceled, everything's closed) and starts soliciting people with four wheel drive vehicles to volunteer at their local hospitals to get doctors, nurses and staff back and forth. Seriously. It was bad.

We know you're just posturing for the snow-hardy folks back in Peoria (or Milwaukee, or Rochester)  who don't like that they, the taxpayer, basically paid for a whole bunch of us to have a big long vacation (which I don't think we need to apologize for having fun with--lemons to lemonade, right), but that's an issue of the government's policies, which oh by the way, YOU WRITE, not about our laziness or wimpiness. If your constituents don't like that Feds get paid on snow days, you are one of the 535 people in this country that can actually DO something about it (but you won't because many of your constituents are Federal employees, too and they'd surely have something to say about that). Don't turn the blame back around on us, thanks.

Lastly, we have now had more snow fall in this city than any other city in the country this winter (including Buffalo and the like). Yes, many places are having lighter than normal winters. But (a) them's the facts (b) we got it all in THREE EVENTS, two of which were separated by about 12 hours, and was really more one massive "clusterflake" as they've been calling it than two separate events. Edited to clarify: 2nd most, and that's if you measure at Dulles. Citation: here.

Oh and PS, Chicago's stats for most snowfall at once: (picked it because of the Senator currently in question and because I'm of Chicago people and can fact-check).

1. 23.0 inches Jan 26-27, 1967
2. 21.6 inches Jan 1-3, 1999
3. 19.2 inches Mar 25-26, 1930
4. 18.8 inches Jan 13-14, 1979
5. 16.2 inches Mar 7-8, 1931
6. 15.0 inches Dec 17-20, 1929
7. 14.9 inches Jan 30, 1939
8. 14.9 inches Jan 6-7, 1918
9. 14.3 inches Mar 25-26, 1970
10. 14.0 inches Jan 18-20, 1886

I just checked in with my parents, who lived in Chicago for the "big" one and they confirmed that the city was shut down for days. Kind of like we just were. And guess what? Even the reports from National Airport (which, seriously, is almost completely surrounded by water and therefore gets FAR less snow than anywhere else in the area) beat that. (18, then a short break, then 8). The reality everywhere not National Airport was more like 25+ followed by 10+. That's 35. Thirty. Five.

So calm down, change some laws if you're really that outraged over it, but remember that you can't change the laws only for us lazy wimps in DC.

Thank you.

Comments

[Aaron Whaley]

I live even further south than DC and 2" is enough to cause panic in the streets around here.

I have also spent a fair bit of time in the Midwest and have seen an 8" snowfall shut things down for 24-48 hours, and that is not a particularly heavy snowfall by their standards.

I don't have much use for critics like the Representatives listed in your links. They need to quit complaining and DO SOMETHING, did they get out and shovel walks for their elderly neighbors, or perhaps a handicapped neighbor? Did they take a stint in some snow removal equipment? No they got up an postured, put your money where your mouth is boys! No wonder people have lost respect for the elected ones.

Aaron

[dukiebiddle]

"we have now had more snow fall in this city than any other city in the country this winter"

Actually, Baltimore is first, Philadelphia is fourth and D.C. is tenth behind Grand Rapids. We have you beat by 24 inches. So stop trying to steal our thunder with your Washingtonian lies! ;-) And don't try to claim Dulles' numbers, either. Dulles is almost as far away from D.C. as Baltimore. [I'm teasing, of course, but still, WE WIN!]

[dukiebiddle]

Oops. Meant to link to my stats:

http://goldensnowglobe.com/current-top-10-snowiest-cities/

[Catherine]

I amend the statement to be the Baltimore-Washington area :) (and for real, National's numbers mean nothing to the reality of the situation, never do). It really has been a doozie, hasn't it?!