Snowmagedon 2021

As if this year hasn't been insane enough, Mother Nature decided to play a nasty trick on Texas and delivered a butt load of Canadian weather. It started out with a simple cold front that moved in around Valentine's Day. We had a smattering of snow; which closed schools and other nonessential businesses because Texas just isn't equipped to handle snow on roads.  But, what usually falls in the morning and melts by afternoon, quadrupled in amount and lasted for much longer! We ended up with a week of snow and ice, coupled with a failed power grid throughout Texas. Many, many people had to leave their homes and find shelter with friends or in warming stations. Hotels were filled to capacity; but, they too lost power and water! Homes and businesses had water pipes burst, which created flooding in many structures. Some schools has entire floors that were damaged, forcing schools to close yet again. 

Ron and I were greatly blessed. We never lost power, we didn't lose water, and our internet and phone service was adequate. Unfortunately, Leslie's family in Ft. Worth, had rolling power outages and ended up taking refuge in the smallest room in their house because it was the easiest one to keep warm. Rebecca said it really effected hospital personnel getting to and from work. She even volunteered to stay on site to help out. Seth hunkered down in his apartment after Ron did a quick supply drop off for him. Scott was able to continue getting to work by using our truck. I honestly think that massive thing would drive through a hurricane! Molly rode out the storm, working from home. And, luckiest of all, Jamie and Ryan got stranded at Disney in Florida because all flights into Texas were canceled.  In short, we came through with minimal inconveniences.

The community was really hit hard. As I mentioned, hospital personnel had trouble just getting to work. A friend of mine is an administrator at Scott and White. She sent out a public request for anyone with 4 wheel drive to volunteer to pick up medical personnel and transport them to the hospital. Scott said most fire fighters have trucks, etc. so they weren't hit as hard. But, his station was a flooded mess due to busted water pipes! They ended up taking their equipment and trucks to another station until the damage could be repaired.  Supply lines to grocery stores were impacted greatly! The shelves, which had finally started filling up after the initial COVID scarcity, were once again bare. Ron went in search of milk one day and ended up paying over $7 for a gallon at Natural Grocer's! 

Below are some of the pictures I took from either the front or back door of the town house. 

After our initial frosting of snow, the ice fell. It coated EVERYTHING!

The ice covered the sides of houses and cars, as well as the ground.

Even our down spout, froze solid with the small amount of run off we had when the initial snow started to melt.

Most plants were encased in ice. By the time everything thawed, so many were broken and destroyed.

After the ice fell, we started getting our second round of snow. 

Of course, the ice hadn't melted so the snow just covered it.

By evening, the snow had blown into the back patio.

It completely covered Boomer's toilet.

Ron and I were fairly well stocked, as far as groceries went. 
We have learned that we need to develop a taste for powdered milk.
$7.00 a gallon is just insane!

Through it all, friends and neighbors helped one another as much as they could. Facebook became the main form of communication about where food and water could be found. Fire stations, police stations, schools, and various businesses passed out food and water daily.  Ranchers in our area even got to work cutting wood and hauling trailer loads to specific lots in towns for free pick up by people with fireplaces. As I record this in August, it seems a little less nightmarish because of how Texans came together to help each other. 

The whole mess eventually melted after a week or so. Unfortunately, the damage recovery is still taking place. Many homes were ruined when foundations cracked, pipes burst, pools split, and flooding destroyed possessions. Our lawmakers are still debating who is to blame for the power grid failing; and, what can be done about it. 

One thing I know for certain; Texans are hardy folks. We learn from mistakes and prepare for the unexpected to become the new normal. As for my own family, they have all revisited their emergency supplies, food and water storage, and made some big ticket purchases like generators. But honestly, we all hope to never see a winter storm like that one again!

Yes; It Does Snow in Texas

 On Saturday, January 9th, Ron came down from the loft in the townhouse to tell me that the evening weather forecast for Sunday was predicting a wintery mix with an accumulation of up to 8 inches. I stopped reading long enough to look at him and ask, "Did you make sure your phone wasn't set for South Dakota?" (He is known to somehow or another mess up the settings on his "smart" phone. He gave me his assurance that we were, indeed, going to have snow. I simply said, what I always say when I hear an odd weather forecast for our area, "I'll believe it when I see it."  Well,  I saw it!

Sunday's snowfall started out light and steadily grew into what we are calling The Blizzard of 2021. In our area of Texas, it only snows enough for any accumulation every 10-12 years. As a matter of fact, last year, we went up to Ft. Worth and loaded Leslie's family into the truck then drove 2 1/2 hours to Witchita Falls just to play in the snow. Sadly, Leslie's family didn't get any accumulation in Ft. Worth from the Blizzard. But, Gatesville and Waco, where Rebecca and Seth live, both got about 6 inches. Leander, where Ryan, Jamie and the twins live, got 4 inches. Killeen, where Scott and Molly live got about 4 inches. And, we got between 4 and 6 inches; depending on which side of the trees you stand. 

Facebook exploded with pictures of friends and their families building snowmen, making snow angels, and eating snow cones or snow cream. Ron and I huddles warm and cozy in our little home; watching with wonder and amazement as our crazy Texas town became a winter wonderland. Lucky for us, our dog, Boomer, hates the snow and was perfectly happy to stay warm and dry inside. 

I knew I had to record this crazy weather event on the blog. After all, snow storms only comes around every 10 years or so. The first few pictures were taken early Sunday morning when the wintry mix began. We were surprised that it started to stick to the ground; but, thankful that the roads were staying clear. Boomer was content to watch from the front porch. 

After about an hour, I stopped reading again and glanced out the window. I was shocked that the rain had disappeared from the wintry mix and we had actual snowfall that was starting to stick to the edges of the road. The sky looked so much like what we were used to seeing during snow storms we had when we lived in Germany!

About the time that the real snow started falling, friends were posting pictures of their families making snowmen. I figured I would make one and post as well. Mine was only about 6 inches tall and sat on the top of a fence post. I don't think there is an actual height requirement to be called a snowman. And, since I couldn't find any coal for his eyes, I just stuck a couple of chocolate chips in there. A few sprigs of Rosemary made perfect little arms.

By mid afternoon, the Blizzard had officially hit. The trees had been blocking the snowfall, which was blowing in from the North. But now, even the dry spots on the south side of them were starting to fill with snow. The streets and sidewalks were covered and traffic had slowed greatly. Mostly, it was people trying to get home from work before dark. Because this is Texas, everything started shutting down. City offices and schools in the surrounding areas all canceled business hours for Monday. 

The first few pictures were taken from the front porch. We have a school and a cornfield across the road from the townhouse. There were a few brave people that actually went out and walked around in the snow. But, honestly, I don't think very many people have boots or jackets to wear in this kind of weather! A friend of mine put gallon ziplock bags over her daughter's feet just so she could play in the snow. 

I decided to go upstairs and take a couple of pictures from the windows on the front and the back of the house.  I thought I could get some pretty good shots because you can normally see much farther away. Unfortunately, there was so much snow falling that visibility was not what it normally is. Needless to say, no one around here owns a snow shovel, so side walks and drive ways stayed snow covered. My neighbor next door was out with his grandchildren. He was using a broom to try to sweep it off his drive. He gave up after a while. I don't think he needed to really worry about it. After all, it would melt the next day.

 

So, the Great Blizzard of 2021 has come and is now quickly melting. By Monday afternoon, roads were dry, side walks were clear, traffic picked up, and the only snow left was what was hiding in the shade of buildings. I normally hate snow; but, I actually don't mind snow storms in Texas. After all, they are here today and gone tomorrow.