2.24.2011

an Oregon winter

I grew up accustomed to winter. I spent my childhood in Colorado, where we rarely, if ever, got snow days. (Seriously, I can probably count the number of snow days I had on one hand.) Then I went to school in Utah where winters were very similar to my Colorado ones.

This is my first winter in Oregon, and it's a lot different. For almost the entire month of January it felt practically seasonless. The weather was cold enough so you were uncomfortable and needed a jacket but not so cold that you could see your breath. It hardly even rained in January. Sometimes it was cloudy and sometimes not; it was a very strange month weather-wise. It was just gray with few season indicators.

Hoping I don't jinx myself, I'll admit that I like weather. I like the weather that accompanies the seasons: the snow and cold of winter, the easing warmth of spring, the heat and sun of the summer, and the blustery chill of autumn. I love the weather markers that tell me where I am in the year. And here in Oregon, I miss the snow. I miss the way falling snow muffles sounds so everything is just quiet, and I miss waking up to snow falling off tree boughs and compelling warm and cozy evenings.

So this morning when we woke up and saw this, my heart warmed a bit.


But when I saw the general response to these two inches of snow, it felt like Oregon was prepping for snow madness. {Click photo to enlarge.}

Chains. On the buses. For two inches of snow. Most of which was melted from the roads anyway. Oh, brother.

At least the traffic was great coming into Portland, because, you know, lots of people were snowed in.

9 comments:

Karen said...

I feel your pain! I haven't even been able to wear my cute winter coats because I don't need them here. Once it snowed an inch and everyone freaked out. I miss having weather and seasons too.

emily said...

I was hoping that IDL would take a snow day! At least this means that we still get to chat later!

Daniel said...

It's much the same thing here in Boston. There have been five snow days here in the last two months! That's more than I had in my entire life before moving here. I mean, yeah they got a few feet total, but it never snowed more than 8" on a given day (the 8" day caused two consecutive snow days). We're tough, we Coloradoans...

m.estelle said...

ahhh, the life in Portlandia.

michelle said...

Ha! I remember well our first winter in Seattle. Ashley was visiting, and we woke up to 1" of snow. I didn't have to go to work, and the snow was all the news, all day long. We have lived in Utah for almost 13 years now, with nary a snow day. Sheesh.

Jill said...

It's hard to even comprehend this kind of reaction to 2 inches of snow!

Claire said...

I too must chuckle at their snow antics.
Rexburg doesn't even pay attention to snow. Or freezing weather. When we had 20 below weather for a week the public schools were canceled only because the bus fuel changed consistency and they couldn't run. Every one else got to walk to school.

jt said...

Shut up- 20 below??? Even in my 9 years in Utah I never experienced that. We had almost an entire week off of school last month, it was awesome. Carolinians respond the same way, but I like it. Forcible coziness. I mean, I was going to go for a really long hike, or kayaking or something, but what can you do? Snowday. I guess I'll stay in my jammies and read.

Susan said...

Even though we have a good bit of snow here, much the same reaction. No school...pre-empted news ALL DAY! Employees who won't drive...grocery stores that are mobbed with people buying all the milk and bread.

Oh, for the good old Rockies!

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