Tips for Surviving a Blizzard in Style and Comfort

It might be almost impossible to avoid the recent weather news. Yes, we had a blizzard that some have been calling "Snowzilla" that walloped the eastern seaboard of the United States. The storm tracked a bit northwest of what was expected, and some of the worst-hit spots were in Pennsylvania, where I live. I'm including links to reports of snow totals, as well as a slide show of photos from the storm.

Records were broken everywhere. Harrisburg, two hours south of us, where my one sister lives, received around 30 inches. Somerset, about two hours southwest of us, got almost three feet of the white stuff. The Turnpike turned into an absolute nightmare; it closed down, and people spent the night in their cars. The National Guard was called in to rescue people.

Meanwhile, we rode out the blizzard at home, in style and comfort. Our blizzard arrived, quite conveniently, on a Friday night into Saturday. So we didn't have to worry about getting me off to work and then safely home. By the time it was all said and done, we had received maybe 8 inches of snow. That's a significant snowfall, but nowhere near apocalyptic proportions. We have had much, much worse.

First off, a good snowstorm makes me immensely hungry. So I got up in the morning and cooked like a fiend. First: apple crisp, with lots of cinnamon and brown sugar (pictured). Then: toasted cheese sandwiches featuring fancy cheddar cheese, served up extra crispy (yes, fried in bacon grease; with triple cheddar and provolone). Then: nachos, with extra shredded cheddar, sour cream, and salsa. Um, yes, all of this was by noon. Can you say comfort foods?

The meteorologists rate twisters on what they call the Fujita scale, based on how much they "eat." I think I must come up with some sort of meteorological scale for blizzards based on how much *I* eat. No, it has nothing to do with snow totals, or temperatures. It's just part of how I "enjoy" a winter storm, I guess.

I have survived many an awesome blizzard in my life. I have also enjoyed quite a few. (Ice storms, on the other hand, are something entirely different; ice storms petrify me, and the power almost always goes out, and trees come down. There is no fun to be had in an ice storm: you merely hunker down, worried sick, and hang on.)

And so the thought came to me that it might be useful for me to provide a short list of tips for surviving a blizzard in style.

1. When you learn about the blizzard, be smart and cancel any plans for travel. Where do you want to be stuck? Outside somewhere? Or inside, where it's comfy-cozy? Think carefully, folks; the correct answer is that it is not even a contest. STAY HOME!

2. Make plans to be snowed in with someone you really enjoy spending time with. In my case, that's one six-foot fur-face and one two-foot fur-face.* I think that one of the tests they should give you before they let you marry someone is to strand you with that person in a house with no electricity for three days during a weather crisis, where you fear that the house may be ruined or that you may in fact die. You will learn QUICKLY whether you and your loved one are compatible.

3. Before the storm begins, sneak in some special treats. This could be food or other items. In our case, it might mean an 8-piece fried chicken from the local store deli. Or three pepperoni pizzas from Pizza Hut. Or a bag of burgers from your local favorite burger joint. Nothing says "good planning" like munching on a nice, hot pepperoni pizza during a storm.

4. Pick some of your favorite movies and plan for some family time to watch them. For some people, games are a big thing. If you're a game person, you might be sure to whip out the Scrabble or whatever floats your boat. For us, it's movies. (On this day: a Star Trek film. Yes, we're watching them all, in reverse order.)

5. Make sure you have something good on hand to read. We are big patrons of our local Bookmobile. My current read is The Book of Speculation, by Erika Swyler ("a dazzling debut," "a tale of magic and family mystery"). Yes, I want to know why all of those mermaids drowned!

6. Plan a baking project. Cookies, brownies, and - yes - apple crisp are fine choices. They will be fun to make, they will make the house smell marvy, and they will be a FINE snack to dip in a cup of hot cocoa when you come back in from the cold outdoors.

7. Take care of the creatures of your yard, too. It is good stewardship to nurture these creatures. Do you have birds? Bunnies? Other critters? They might love some fresh water and snacks to help get them through hard times, too.

8. Eventually, remove the snow that has to be removed so that you can get out in case of emergency. The snow ended here around noon or so. We were watching movies all afternoon, but by just before dusk, we went out and cleared our 100-foot drive way. It was a light, fluffy snow. Between the two of us, working like steam engines, we had it cleared in a bit more than a half-hour. The sun (expected on Sunday) will then help it clear itself. Pace yourself when doing snow removal. When we get heavier snows, we often do the snow removal in little bits: 20 minutes here, 20 minutes there. Who says you have to break your back by doing it all at once? NOBODY!

9. Plan to have some fun in the resulting white stuff. Go out with your camera and walk all around and take pictures. Go snow-shoeing, or sledding, or skiing, if that's your thing. Be reminded of how fun and silly and ridiculous the winter can be. Try to remember how to enjoy the white wintry weather with the heart of a child.

The soundtrack to accompany this posting is The Staves, with Snow.

*Now, my husband and I have a disagreement about how tall the cat is. My husband says the cat is more like ONE foot tall. I argue that with his tail in the air (happy cat = tail straight up!), Dexter is more like TWO feet tall.