Before I engage in what will appear to be a contest between Buffalo winter survival tactics and those of Minnesota, I will caveat this post with my current scenario: I am a high school English teacher, lounging in my bed with a hot cup of coffee after 6 consecutive cancellations due to the aftermath of Jonas. 

Yesterday, The Washington Post published an article by a native Minnesotan and recent DC transplant, waxing dramatic over the harsh Midwestern winters and the utter ineptitude of our nation’s capital in dealing with the storm.  

Though I don’t need to cite my resumé of East Coast winters (31 years and counting) I feel compelled to share that 18 years of my life were spent building snowman and snow-forts in rural Western New York, (smack dab between Buffalo and Rochester) and 8 years spent in Syracuse, NY. 

For the record, in 2014 the Weather Channel listed Buffalo the 4th snowiest city in the US, Rochester the 3rd snowiest, and – wait for it – Syracuse the #1 snowiest city in the United States, with an average yearly snowfall of 126.3 inches.

 BuffaloRochester

Syracuse

Take that.

Now in DC, I too am amused by the paranoia that accompanies an impending storm. The bare grocery shelves, the lack of salt on the roads, and the utter chaos that ensues once the white stuff starts to fall. 

I too am assaulted by my family and friends in those snowiest of US cities, mocking my snow days and implying that I have succumbed to the weakness of this southern region.  I hear you, Ms. Minnesota, that it seems ridiculous. 

HOWEVER –  in a city where the average snowfall is less than 20 inches, would you expect the same due diligence in handling winter weather? Not only that, but this city is a melting pot of weather experience, and I have been on the roads with those who believe a little snowfall was “no big deal”. 

Scott and I ventured out yesterday in an attempt to ascertain for ourselves the current condition of the city. And yes – we were met with un-shoveled sidewalks, limited road space, and pedestrians taking to the street in order to avoid the mess. We saw 3 near accidents, and a snowplow brake quickly for a pedestrian that was making an illegal cross.  I returned home, crossing my fingers that my students would not be forced to wait at non-existent bus stops or walk in the road to get to class on time. 

stormjonas9-4

(Scott, surviving and thriving during #Snowzilla)

So instead of focusing on what Washington doesn’t do to handle this winter weather, let’s focus on how tirelessly they HAVE worked to handle a situation that is unfamiliar at best.  Thank you to the men and women who have shoveled out the elderly, rescued people from the side of the road, and worked to clean up a city that was always meant to handle heat rather than snow.  

So, Minnesota, give them a break. This Western New Yorker gets it, Washington, and you’ll get no grief from me. 

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