Cold, but not the Coldest
Spring is supposed to be around the corner, but there's a forecast of heavy snow in Michigan, prompting many school districts in Washtenaw County and the surrounding areas to cancel school Wednesday. Northeast Ohio is bracing for a winter storm, with some schools canceling classes as well. This may be insufficient reason for children not to report to classes, but Mother Nature is unpredictable lately.
Snow buried the Northeast last January, leaving behind bitter cold. Images of a frozen Niagara Falls and a man on the road, skiing, gave some a hunch that this would be a winter like no other. (The cold wave extended as far south as northeastern Mexico and central Florida.) It wasn't the case on the other side of the Atlantic, where there were reports of warm weather. This happened during the Sochi Olympics last month, the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup circuit as well, prompting organizers to cancel some races.
There was precipitation in the North Central states during Tuesday night, but the bulk of the snow came Wednesday. Total accumulation was six to nine inches, peak snowfall during the morning. Area schools that were closed included Arbor Preparatory High School, Dexter Community Schools, Early College Alliance at Eastern Michigan University, Greenhills School, Honey Creek Community School, Lincoln Consolidated Schools, Manchester Community Schools, Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, South Pointe Scholars Charter Academy, and Washtenaw Christian Academy.
Was this year's winter the coldest to hit this side of North America? Some would disagree.
On March 1888, forty to fifty inches of snow were dumped in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. It claimed the lives of more than 400 people, the worst death toll for a winter storm. The Great Blizzard of 1899 came next, with record-low temperature and record snowfall still standing today. (The snowy showers started in Florida.) The Midwest experienced an exploding bomb, a lingo for a large pressure drop, on November 1940. Older residents of Chicago still remembered the blizzard of 1979, which couldn't be compared with the others. Some even recalled the winter of 1985 as the most chilly.
This cold wave also fueled debate on global warming; one side insisted that there was no such thing, while the other side believed that temperature extremes, like this cold wave, was the byproduct of global warming. Some areas followed Brussels, which adapted a cold wave plan; those isolated by the harsh winter, suffering by faulting heater and such, could find (customer) support and (regular) visit. This brought us to Groundhog Day, an annual event that predicts the coming of spring.
Groundhog Phil, the world's most famous furry forecaster, saw his shadow at around 7:25 AM during the morning of February 2, amidst mostly overcast skies. Expect six more weeks of winter, which wouldn't be greeted enthusiastically. Does this mean that this year's spring will be colder? Will the summer come earlier? Will there be a heat wave? Let's wait and see.
